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PEDRO GIBERT AND OTHERS. 733°

six, or six and a half. A elipper
will, on an average, sail one-third
faster than a merchant vessel.
The Panda and Mexican, would
not be likely to meet, because the
schooner ought to be much ahead
of the brig. Am well acquainted
with the eurrency on the African
eosst. Spanish dollars are cur-

rent there—even doubloons and -

onnees will pass. Has been on
the coast as far as Congo, and
thirty leagues up the river.
Petty Sestos and Nyphoo are not
the same places, Vessels going
from the Havana always carry
specie, Tf they had a full cargo,
fitted for traftle with the natives,
they would carry about one or
two thousand dollars, It is five
thousand two hundred and eighty
miles from Havana to Cape
Monte. Am sequainted with
Captain Gibert; he bears a good
character in Havana, among the
most respectable | mercantile
houses. Have also heard Bern-
ardo de Soto spoken well of by
captains and merchants. Do
not know whether Captain Gi-
bert has any property. Know
that de Soto owned a schooner
in '32, and that he sold her. Aft-
erwards, heard that he had
bought the Panda, and gone out
in her. In °27, Captain Gibert
waa concerned in a mercantile
house; think the goods in their
warehouse might be ‘worth from
eight to ten thousand dollars.
Crossezamined, By being in
the African trade, I mean to say
that T have been the slave trade;
the English themselves sell slaves,
Captain Joseph Smith, Have
been twenty-five years in the
Navy of the United States, as a
midshipman, lieutenant and mas-
ter-commandant. Have exam-
ined the course of the Mexican,

as marked on her chart, she must
be a dull sailer not to have got
farther in twenty days than 33
—34.20. Should think the dif-
ference of sailing between such
a vessel and a clipper, in a light
wind, would be twenty-five per
cent. Tn rough weather, it would
uot be so much; not more than
ten per cent. Tn Angust and
September, the winds, in the lat-
itude in question, are westerly
and southerly. In making the
passage from Havana to Africa,
the clipper would, probably, get
out of the Gulf Stresm in three
days, and go north as far as lat.
30 or 35 [place where Mexican
was robbed] in order to get a
favorable wind, The clipper
would reach the above latitude in
about six days from Havans. Do
not think the sehooner and brig
could meet.

Cross-examined. If the ves-
sels shoulé meet, it would be
sbout where the Mexican was
met by the pirate.

Captain Bethune, Have been
fen or twelve years acquainted
with nautical matters. Do not
know much about clippers, but
should think there was twenty or
twenty-five per eent difference
between their rate of sailing and
that of merchantmen. It is mere
matter of opinion, whether the
Panda and Mexican would meet;
but I should think it probable
that they would.

Edward H. Foucon. Have
been to sea twelve years; am
master of a vessel, and in the
employ of Bryant & Sturgis; do
not know the difference in sail-
ing between a clipper and mer-
ebantman, exeepting by repute-
tion; should think there would
be thirty per cent difference in
favor of the clipper; should

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