ST. HELENA 265 



the wreok they had on two occasions only a mouthful of water 

 obtained during a shower, but providentially it rained harder and 

 they caught water in the rum cask. This was served out three 

 times a day in the heel of Lieut. Wilson's shoe, and lasted them 

 seven days. Whenever there was the least wind the seas broke 

 over them, and they were compelled to stand as much as possible, 

 which was terrible in their weakened condition. 



The heat of the sun and the salt water lacerated their feet, ankles 

 and legs in a dreadful manner, but on the seventeenth day they saw 

 the coast in the neighbourhood of St. Paul de Loando, where the 

 Cygnet picked them up. The master of the slaver and two of our 

 seamen died as they persisted in drinking salt water, which drove 

 them mad. The scene on board when Lieut. Wilson and crew 

 were brought up was most affeoting. They had travelled over 

 400 miles when picked up. 



A strange circumstance is that the captain of the slaver, who 

 died mad on the raft, had, previously to his being taken by the 

 Star, recaptured his vessel from H.M.S. Wasp by murdering all 

 the crew ; this was discovered by some of the slaver's crew turning 

 Queen's evidence. The men spoke in the highest terms of Lieut. 

 Wilson during the trying circumstances above narrated. 



Vice- Admiralty Court, 17TH July, 1845. 



The slave-brig Alabes (master and nation unknown), taken by 

 H.M. sloop Cygnet (Henry Layton, commander) on 4th January, 

 on West coast of Africa, after having been run ashore, scuttled, 

 set on fire and abandoned by her crew, was pronounced in the 

 Vice- Admiralty Court of this colony to be subject to condemnation 

 as being equipped for, and engaged in the slave-trade. 



Capture of a Slaver. 



The Brazilian brigantine Saspiro, thirty-three days from Rio, 

 was captured on the 6th inst. by H.M. steam-sloop Prometheus, 

 and sent to Sierra Leone for adjudication. 



The Hydra, steam-sloop (Commander Young) has captured the 

 notorious slave felucca, which beat off the Growler's pinnace, when 

 Lieut. Lodwick was wounded. She still bore evident marks of 

 the rough encounter with the pinnace of the Growler ■ the mizzen 

 was completely riddled, the mainsail cut to ribands, and five men 

 were killed in the action. Her crew was about seventy men. The 

 Hydra has made a prize also of another equally famous slaver, 

 the Pepita, which she captured at night after a most exciting chase, 

 the felucca striving might and main to get away, but the Hydra's 

 68-pounders committed great havoo in her sails, crippled her speed, 

 and shattered her hull and bulwarks. She carried on still, but 

 found steam too powerful for her, as the Hydra gained fast and 

 soon overtook her, when Lieut. Rdoystra boarded her. He found 

 every preparation made for a bloody resistance, along 18-pounder 

 being loaded with grape and round shot and pointed over her 

 quarter, a cask of cartridges near, several swivels loaded with 



