Parted company with the _Saracen_, who went to look into the Gallinas for slavers. We continued about fifty miles off shore. [Sidenote: Oct. 7.] At 2 P.M. being abreast of the Penguin, frequented by slavers, who take in rice prior to embarking a cargo. Bore up and furled upper sails. After dark came to off the mouth of the river; sent pinnace, with Lieutenant Goldsmith, and cutter, with Acting Lieutenant Noad, to reconnoitre. I heard the following morning from an unemployed Krooman, “Prince William,” who came off with others to barter for tobacco or anything else they could get, that a slaver, having completed her water and rice, supposed to be Spanish, had sailed the previous evening for New Cess, a place about the spot where Trade Town is marked on the chart. “Prince William” was an intelligent fellow; he had served on board the _Primrose_, who had thus christened him. He had ECNIRP tattooed on his chest. One of the _Primrose_ seamen had chalked his name on a piece of wood, which he took home, and, making the impression, had his name engraved backwards. He offered to pilot us in. The pinnace and cutter returned about ten o’clock, having pulled up the river against a very strong current. Several monkeys and curious birds were seen, but, owing to the thickness of the mangrove bushes, could not have been got at had they been killed. This is a good place for canoes; the natives make them to any dimensions in a short time. I paid five dollars for one about 30 feet long and quite new. Kroomen speaking English are always to be found along the coast, and make good interpreters. Got under way at eleven, and at noon fell in with a rakish-looking schooner, who showed American colours and papers named “The _Peri_, of Baltimore.” Her skipper was, I think, a Dutchman, but the remainder of the crew were Spaniards. The log was kept in Spanish, and she was evidently a Spanish vessel, having her water-casks in, and, with the exception of rice, everything ready for a cargo of slaves. But no Spanish papers could be found, and she got off under United States colours. We soon overhauled another Spanish slaver, who could not long, judging from the smell, have landed her cargo. She had a Spanish captain and crew, but sheltered herself under the Portuguese flag; she was a sort of jackal, picking up cargoes for the larger vessels. Until the last treaty with Spain, which entitles us to capture Spanish vessels fitted for slaves, with or without slaves on board, the Portuguese flag had scarcely been seen on this part of the coast. The Portuguese papers are chiefly obtained at Porto Praya, St. Jago. At 9 P.M., when off the Grand Canon Point, ten miles to the south-east of New Cess, we furled square sails, hoisted boats out, and sent away pinnace, cutter, and jolly-boat, under the pilotage of “Prince William,” manned and armed. [Sidenote: Oct. 9.]