CHARACTERS. 



7S3 



to command his majesty's ships on 

 the coast of Guinea, in La Gloirc, 

 of 44 guas. lie had already gained 

 such a commciulable reputation 

 among the seamen in general, that 

 his sliip was immediately manned 

 with volunteers. On his arrival at 

 Cape Coast, thegovcrnor and coun- 

 cil represented to iiim the scries of 

 ill-treatment they had received from 

 the Dutch governor-general, at El- 

 mina Castle, who had interrupted 

 tlicir inland trade, imprisoned their 

 free negroes, and had brought the 

 credit of the African company to be 

 held in contempt by the natives. 

 Fired with indignation at these re- 

 citals, the commander of the squa- 

 dron immediately prepared his own 

 ship and the Swan sloop for action, 

 and proceeded to Elmina, anchor- 

 ing as near the Dutch castle, as the 

 depth of water would permit, lie 

 then sent capt. Diggcs on shore, 

 with a letter to the governor-gene- 

 ral, demanding justice fur the Eng- 

 lish merchants witiiout delay, and 

 an immediate release for all the free 

 negroes. To the first demand the 

 Dutchman sent an evasive answer ; 

 to the last an absolute refusal. Upon 

 this a blockade for a day or two 

 brought the governor-general to 

 reason. All the free negroes being 

 first sent off as a peace oliering, the 

 other demands were promised to be 

 complied with, and the business 

 «oon adjusted and ratified. 



La (Jloire went the usual tour 

 down the coast; tUence proceeded 

 to Barbadocs ; the chief merchants 

 of which place displayed their feel- 

 ings at seeing a son of their old go- 

 Tcrnor : the ship was quite crowded 

 with refreshments from the shore. 

 La Gloire proceeded next to Ja- 

 maica, thence, according to the 



Vol. XLVII. 



usual course, with the merchants' 

 remittances to England. 



At the close of this same year 

 (1751) capt. Howe was appointed 

 to the Mary yacht. This was not 

 the kind of command that accorded 

 with his active spirit : he was glad 

 to quit it in June, 1752, on being 

 commissioned to the Dolphin^ fri- 

 gate. The Dolphin Avas one of the 

 squadron that sailed to the Rlediter. 

 ranean, under commodore Edge- 

 cumbe ; Mho, during his station 

 there, dispatched capt. Howe io the 

 coast of Barbary, on a very critical 

 service. The inhabitants of Sallee 

 were fitting out a cruizer of about 

 20 guns, avowedly to plunder ves- 

 sels of all the Christian nations, par-' 

 ticularly of the English. On arriving 

 in their road, the captain sent a letter 

 to the bashaw and alcaide, acquaint- 

 ing them with the nature of the ser- 

 vice to which he was appointed, 

 and requesting an explanation of 

 their intentions. The Moors in- 

 vited the captain on shore to treat 

 with them. He was strongly ad- 

 vised not to put himself in the power 

 of such a faithless people ; but, 

 considering it as a duty belonging 

 to his employment, he -went on 

 shore next morning, accompanied 

 by two or three friends only ; leav- 

 ing his ship to the care of the lieu- 

 tenant, with orders how to proceed 

 in case of any accident. On his 

 approach near the beach he per- 

 ceived a concourse of people ready 

 to receive him, and, upon landing, 

 was immediately conducted to th« 

 bashaw and alcaide ; who had pre- 

 pared a repast for his entertainment 

 (a sheep roasted whole. Sec.) and 

 behaved with the greatest civility, 

 and even politeness. They then 

 proceeded to the basiucss of the in- 

 3 C te.ndcii 



