286 ST. HELENA 



also six small cabins on the first poop, with the joss house in the 

 centre, in which a light is constantly kept burning. Her stern is 

 32 feet high of the water. 



Her Majesty's steam frigate Penelope 'H. W. Giffard, Esq., 

 captain,' bearing the broad pennant of Commodore Sir 

 Charles Hotham, K.C.B., Commander-in-Chief of the 

 squadron on the West Coast of Africa, arrived in these Roads 

 on Monday, 5th inst., with three prizes in company, viz. : 



The Brazilian felucca Saron, captured on the i8th March, 1847. 

 The schooner, name and nation unknown, of 52 tons, with 317 slaves, 

 captured on 3Oth March, 1847, and Brazilian schooner Joanito, 

 captured on 4th April, 1847, which vessels bearing 315 surviving 

 slaves were condemned in the Vice-Admiralty Court on Thursday, 

 22nd instant. 



The Brazilian schooner Jupiter, captured by H.M. sloop Flying 

 Fish, on 3Oth March, 1847, arrived on the 6th instant under the 

 charge of Mr. Simpson, Midshipman, this was also condemned on the 

 22nd instant ; and the felucca, name and nation unknown, captured 

 by the same cruiser on the i7th April, 1846, and run on shore by the 

 crew of the vessel, was also pronounced liable to condemnation by 

 His Honour the Judge. 



Slave Steamer. 



Information has just been received that a large black steamer, 

 brig-rigged mounted with a large traversing gun on her top-gallant 

 forecastle, was seen in the River Congo by the boats of H.M.S. Siren. 



On the boats nearing her, with a view to boarding, a shot was fired 

 across the steamer's bow, which she returned with round and grape 

 from her pivot gun on the forecastle, and another on her 

 starboard quarter, but showed no colours ; and although a quick 

 fire was kept up from the boats, and every exertion made to get 

 alongside, it was without success, owing to the steamer's great speed. 

 The boats had the satisfaction, however, of seeing that part of her 

 starboard paddle-box and fore-rigging were shot away ; the speed 

 of the steamer gave her every advantage of choosing her position, 

 as it enabled her to direct her fire on the pinnace from her stern- 

 quarter, and forecastle gun, with the greatest precision. The ammu- 

 nition in the boats being expended, and the pinnace's gun having 

 several times capsized from the boat's pitching, it was found impos- 

 sible to board her, and therefore it was deemed hopeless to continue 

 the chase ; the boats then stood in for the shore, under a heavy fire 

 which the steamer continued to keep up while she was going down 

 the river at full speed. The gun on the steamer's forecastle was a 

 24-pounder, Grape shot passed through the ensign, and two oars 

 were shot away. The men had been forty-six hours on their oars. 

 The pinnace was commanded by Senior Lieut. Jackson of the Siren, 

 in which was Mr. J. W. Lowe, Master of H.M.S. Hound. The cool 

 and determined manner in which the officers and men conducted 

 the affair deserves the greatest praise, 



