King Acqua, lately required summary expulsion from a British manof-war. On December 13 we left the Cameroons River, when I pledged myself to return soon in order to settle the blood-money due upon the latter murders. At 10:45 P.M. in the same night we reached Fernando Po; as usual there is nothing to do there. The whole work of the Consul lies in the "oil rivers." On December 18 I left Fernando Po in Her Majesty's ship Bloodhound, and landed once more at Victoria. On the next day I set out in company with the Rev. A. Saker of the Cameroons Mission, Señor Iturburu, the Civil and Criminal Judge at Fernando Po, and Mr. Gustav Mann, Government Botanist in West Africa, to explore, ascend, and survey the Cameroons mountains, an admirable site for a sanitarium, a convict station, or a colony of liberated Africans. I shall be able to report our proceedings by the next mail. Earl Russell. RICHD. F. BURTON. P.S.-Since requesting your Lordship's permission to set out on a mission to His Majesty of Dahomey, I have heard from reliable sources that the King, warned by the fate of Porto Novo, is ready and willing to come to terms with the British Government; thus perhaps the effusion of blood may be prevented. No. 41.-Consul Burton to Earl Russell.-(Received April 12.) MY LORD, Fernando Po, March 1, 1862. I HAVE the honour to bring to your notice the following circumstances: On the 18th ultimo I visited, accompanied by Commander Perry, of Her Majesty's ship Griffon, and by the Rev. A. Saker, of the Cameroons Mission, the town of a petty Chief of Bimbia land, popularly called "Dick Merchant." My object was to obtain restitution of the cattle and live-stock stolen from the African members of the Mission, two of whom have lately been beaten and assaulted by that Chief's subjects, and to insist that such outrages must cease. Our escort consisted of the crews of the first and second whalers, the latter of which was in charge of Mr. Richards, the excellent gunner of Her Majesty's ship Griffon. The Chief, though politely urged to do so, refused to meet me under the usual "palaver tree;" and when Commander Perry, with the sanction of Mr. Saker, and at my request, proceeded to summon him, his people armed themselves, and being about 200 in number compelled us to re-embark. We at once returned to Fernando Po, where Commodore Edmon stone was expected on the 22nd ultimo. That officer, who arrived on the 24th ultimo, kindly supplied me, on application, with a force sufficient to obtain the required redress. It consisted of 45 officers and men of Her Majesty's ship Arrogant, one barge carrying a 12-pounder howitzer, and one cutter armed with rockets; Her Majesty's ship afforded two cutters also armed with rockets, and the two whalers in which we had first visited the town. I left Fernando Po at 11 A.M. on the 27th ultimo, having secured, with a view to peace, the gratuitous services of Mr. W. H. Matthews. of Fernando Po, and of Mr. Johnson, one of the native missionaries who had been beaten and maltreated by one of Dick Merchant's men. Both parties had resided a long time at Bimbia, and both knew the people and their language thoroughly well. We reached Victoria, the out-station of the Cameroons Mission, at nightfall on the 27th ultimo, and received on board Mr. Pinnock, another missionary who had been robbed and assaulted by Dick Merchant's people. About daybreak on the 28th ultimo, we left Her Majesty's simp Griffon anchored, and set out on the boats, being joined en route by Mr. Wilson, a third member of the Mission. Arriving at Dis Merchant's town, I sent forward Messrs. Wilson and Johnson, whe had volunteered to land under a flag of truce. The other ve sels being stationed to cover our position, Commander Pay Mr. Richards, and I disembarked from the first and second whats, exactly as we did before. This time we found the Chief sitting under the usual "palaver tree." As I refused to shake hands with him, he knelt to me, and showed the utmost contrition. At the end of an hour, he and his principal men had signed four Articles, of which the original is inclosed. Commander Perry then indulged them with a discharge of howitzer and rockets, and the sensation created warrants my believing that this part of the coast will be peaceful for some time to come. We then visited the town of King William of Bimbia, who, after a previous Treaty with England, has lately signed a document of which a translation is inclosed. It enables the Spaniards of Fernando Po to obtain palm oil, which used to be exported from Cameroons River in British bottoms. I had, however, a peaceful interview with the Chief, and Commander Perry, on departing, discharged his rifles and revolvers, causing the same sensation as at Dick Merchant's town. Having reached the Griffon at 3.30 P.M. on the 28th ultimo, we at once steamed to Fernando Po; and on the same evening I reported events to the Commodore, thanking him for his assistance, and expressing admiration of the way in which the duty had been done. I have also offered my best thanks to Messrs. Matthews, Johnson, Pinnock, and Wilson for their valuable aid in preventing hostilities. Hoping that your Lordship will approve of these proceedings, Earl Russell. SIR, RICHD. F. BURTON. No. 42.-Earl Russell to Consul Burton. Foreign Office, April 23, 1862. I HAVE received your despatch of the 1st of March, and I have to acquaint you that I approve of the course which you took, as reported in that despatch, to obtain redress from the Bimbia Chief called "Dick Merchant" for the ill-treatment and robbery of certain African members of the Mission, and for the discourteous reception which that Chief gave to you on your first application for redress. This result is the more satisfactory to Her Majesty's Government inasmuch as it was arrived at without having recourse to actual force. You allude in the same despatch to a subsequent visit to another Bimbia Chief, who, after a previous Treaty with England, had lately signed a document with the Spanish authorities, of which you inclose a copy; but as you merely say that you had a peaceful interview with him, I have no means of judging either of the necessity of your visiting him or of the objects which you sought, and, I presume, succeeded in obtaining, on the occasion. There are two points, however, in the document which you inclose that have especially attracted my attention. The one is the engagement undertaken by the Chief in Article III, to prefer, in commerce, Spanish ships and traders to those of all other nations; the other is his engagement to supply country labourers to the Island of Fernando Po. As regards the first, you will take an opportunity of making known to the Chief that the British Government cannot allow British ships and traders to be at a disadvantage within his district, as compared with the ships and traders of Spain. The British Government has no desire to obtain from the Chief commercial advantages from which other nations are excluded, but it requires to share equally in commercial advantages conceded by the Chief to any other nation. As regards the second point, I have to instruct you to watch very narrowly the operation of the engagement to supply country labourers to Fernando Po. Such engagements are more or less calculated to give rise to a traffic in slaves, by affording a market to which captives may be brought for sale; and even though such cautives should be redeemed from slavery on being purchased, and before they are sent over, under the guise of free labourers, to Fernando Po, the encouragement to slave-hunting in the interior of the country still remains the same; and accordingly every effort should be made to check a system which may tend to such a lamentable result. Captain R. F. Burton. I am, &c. RUSSELL No. 4.-Consul Burton to Earl Russell.—(Received July 12.) MY LORD, Fernando Po, May 22, 1562. I HAVE the honour to report that I made two vain attempts to visit officially the Old Calabar River. The Bloodhound, Lieutenant-Commander Dolben, R.N., in November was compelled by sickness to leave the river. In February the Griffon, Commander Perry, R.N., was ordered to meet the Commodore at Fernando Po, and was by him sent to the South Coast with the mails. On the return of the Griffon to Fernando Po, I received intel ligence (Inclosure No. 1) that an Englishman had been assaulted by a native of the Old Calabar River, and proceeded there on the 1st instant. The river is chartless, buoyless, and without pilots. We were nearly wrecked off Tom Shott's Point by a shipmaster who had volunteered to pilot us, and we anchored off Duke Town on Sunday the 4th May. I was at once visited by the senior supercargoes, who placed in my hands the complaints embodied in Inclosure No. 2; and their example was presently followed by the Sierra Leone emigrauts, who also complained of the natives as shown by Inclosure No. 3. A meeting of the white traders was called for the next morning (Monday, 5th May), to consider the re-establishment of a Court of Equity, based upon the Articles of old Treaties concluded by the late Governor Beecroft and by Mr. Consul Hutchinson in 1556. (Hertslet's Commercial Treaties, vol. x, page 686.) Before noon at the time appointed, the Court of Equity was re-established by the white traders. A copy of it is forwarded (Inclosure No. 4) for your Lordship's consideration. Some such measure is called for by the present state of the river, which has literally been managed by the revolver for the last 6 months. Certain Articles may appear to press heavily upon the natives of Duke Town, but I can hardly treat them otherwise. The murders and torturings, and the abominable crimes which prevail among them, render the place an African Sodom and Gomorrah. 66 When King Archibong was civilly requested to attend, with the gentlemen" of Duke Town, at the re-establishment of the Court Equity, he sent two written excuses, saying he was sick. The medical officer of Her Majesty's ship Griffon, and Dr. Adams, of the ship Cressy, were sent on shore, and they reported that he was well enough to come on board. This attempt at delay failing, Archibong and his gentlemen appeared about noon. I reproached him with not having noticed the assault of a white trader, informed him that the state of the river positively required some remedy, and concluded with letting him know that I expected his signature and that of his Chiefs to be affixed to the Articles of the new Court of Equity, which would be duly submitted to him for palavering. On the next day (6th May) Archibong again pleaded sickness. Drs. Flynn, R.N., and Adams once more visited him, and the latter reported to me that the King was "in a perfectly fit state to go on board Her Britannic Majesty's steamer Griffon." As Archibong persisted in refusing his presence, the chairman and members of the Court of Equity, accompanied by Mr. Bigley, master of the Griffon, formed a deputation, and proceeded to his house to explain and debate upon the several Articles. The only result was an insolent and taunting refusal on the part of the King to affix his signature. His reasons, taken down in writing by Dr. Adams, proved to be nugatory, the chief objections raised being against the abolition of compulsory breakfasts, and points already determined by Treaty. Commander Perry had been cautioned by the Commodore to leave the river, if possible, after the fifth day. Already we had spent 4, and a month appeared in prospect. I, therefore, at the request of the supercargoes, wrote to King Archibong that he was expected to sign the Articles before noon of the next day, under penalty of my proceeding to extreme measures. He simply refused, being backed up, I regret to say, by the Rev. Mr. Anderson, who on this occasion forwarded a most improperly worded protest, which he afterwards withdrew. A very different and a right view of the case was, however, taken by the Revs. Messrs. Thomson and Baillie, and Dr. Hewan, of the Old Calabar Mission. The first named wrote to me, "I cordially concur with you in the course you have adopted as needful, just, and beneficent." After clearing out his house and preparing for the “bush," King Archibong thought better of the affair, and appeared on board before noon on the next day (7th May). He and the "gentlemen" of Duke Town signed without difficulty, and their example was followed by Tom Eyo, John Eyo, and the Chiefs of Creek Town, who, indeed, throughout the case conducted themselves with the utmost candour and friendliness. They doubtless hope to gain by a comparison with their ancient rivals. When this point was settled, I proceeded to an examination of |