88. Lord J. Russell to Sir A. Buchanan. May 17 M. Lesseps as Acting 1037 Arbitrator on death of July 20 Royal Decree permitting lic emigration papers 1052 107. Lord J. Russell to Sir A. Bu- Dec. 11 Cuban Slave Trade........ 1055 chanan. 108. Sir A. Buchanan to Lord J. Dec. 17 Remonstrances Russell. with Spanish Government on subject of Cuban Slave Trade 1055 152. Consul-General Herman to Lord April 30 Relative to negroes pass J. Russell. ing through Malta with and 153. Lord J. Russell to Consul-General May 16 Approves steps as reHerman. ported in above de- 1063 154. Consul General Herman to Lord July J. Russell. 2 Operations of a razzia July 18 240 negroes and 300 1065 156. Lord J. Russell to Consul-General Aug. 20 Expedition organized by Herman. Ali Bey. Commenda- 157. Consul-General Herman to Lord Sept. 14 Marauding expedition 1065 TURKEY. 1860 158. Sir H. Bulwer to Lord J. Russell. April 4 Excitement at Jeddah owing to suppression of the Slave Trade... 1066 159. Lord J. Russell to Sir H. Bulwer. June 22 Connivance of Turkish authorities at Slave Trade. To represent 1067 it to the Government 160, Sir H. Bulwer to Lord J. Russell. Dec. 12 Slave Trade in Turkey 1068 166. Lord J. Russell to Consul Pethe- Dec. 31 Slave Trade in White rick. 167. Lord J. Russell to Consul-General Dec. 31 Ditto Nile 1076 1077 No. 1-Consul Brand to Lord J. Russell.-(Rec. April 16, 1860.) MY LORD, Lagos, March 9, 1860. FOR Some months past, the report spread every year since 1851, of a threatened attack on Abbeokuta, by the army of the King of Dahomey, has been very general in this neighbourhood. In the month of December last the Basharon or War Chief of Abbeokuta, in writing to me on another matter referred to in this report, and from that time the rumour has been frequently revived, generally coming here from Abbeokuta, where all were well aware of it. The anxiety on this subject, however, reached its climax on the 21st ultimo, when numerous letters were received by residents here from their correspondents at Abbeokuta, announcing the advance of the Dahomian army. On that day I received the requisition, of which a copy forms Inclosure 1, asking for personal and material assistance. With respect to the former, what I could do was to refer the application to the senior naval officer present, which I did in the subjoined letter, Inclosure 2, the Brune and Spitfire, being the only ships of war here at the time. As regarded the material aid, although I felt that I had no specific instructions authorizing me to incur expense, yet, knowing the great interest which Her Majesty's Government has always taken in the safety and progressive prosperity of Abbeokuta, not only as the residence of British subjects and liberated Africans, but also as the advanced post of legal commerce, civilization, and missionary labour, in this portion of Central Africa; I thought I would be interpreting their wishes correctly by taking upon myself in such a crisis the responsibility of affording, as far as in my power, the assistance asked for, as I felt that, if aid was to be rendered at all, it should be afforded promptly, and to such an extent as to give a fair probability of its being efficient, I put aside the conflicting counsel of numerous persons who assembled at the Consulate on the evening of the 21st ultimo, and decided upon the course which it appeared to me best to pursue. Accordingly, after transmitting the requisitions of the residents. of Abbeokuta to the senior naval officer present, and getting King Docemo to send the "gong-gong" round to collect the Egbas with a view to their proceeding to aid their countrymen, I despatched next morning my letter in reply to the application made to me, Inclosure 3, and in the afternoon I forwarded by the river Ogun, the supplies mentioned in the letter of which Inclosure 4 is a copy. On the same day, the 22nd, the Egbas in and about Lagos left to the number of nearly 300. It was not till the 23rd that I received the communications dated 19th February, from the Rev. Mr. Townsend and the Alake, Inclosures 5 and 6, the latter of which I transmitted to Lieutenant Lodder in my letter of that date, this and my previous letter were acknowledged by that officer on the 24th, and having received by his orders, from Her Majesty's ship Spitfire, 30 rounds of 6-pounder solid shot and cartridge, I sent this additional supply on, accompanied by the letter of which Inclosure 9 is a copy. The Medusa, Commander Bowden, senior officer of the Bights Division, arrived in the afternoon of the 24th ultimo, and Lieutenant |