The Navy Board approved of all the suggestions contained in these letters, with the exception of paying the arrears to those blacks who had not received the advantage of being rated according to these orders; a measure bearing very hard upon these people, and for which no adequate reason is assigned. Some months afterwards, when the black men from the squadron were discharged into the dock-yard, previous to its departure for England, the Commissioner on mustering them found to his great surprise, that some of these people had been long at sea, serving as part of the complement of His Majesty’s ships, and doing all the duty of seamen. That these people should after such service be consigned again to slavery, (mitigated it is true, but nevertheless, as the labour was compulsory, it was still slavery for the time it was to last) seemed a hardship not to be permitted. It was true he felt that it might be said, that in the dock-yard they had the pay and allowances of seamen. This was admitted; but it was the principle against which he felt it his duty to contend. On the mere supposition that the dock-yard establishment was complete, and that in consequence these negroes had been like other apprentices distributed among the Boors, the consequence would have been obvious and most painful, and it would have involved a flagrant act of injustice towards the helpless blacks, thus reduced without any fault of their own, from the condition of seamen, serving in His Majesty’s navy, to that of prædial slaves in a colony, noted for the severity with which such slaves are treated. Sir Jahleel Brenton in consequence wrote to the Navy Board upon the subject, and the following is an extract from his letter of the 13th Feb., 1816, immediately bearing upon this subject. “I feel it incumbent upon me to state the cases of three of these men, (viz.) Frank, Tom, and Robin, who appear to me to be entitled to their liberty, in consequence of their having been in England. They went home in H.M.S. Thais, and returned in H.M.S. Curacoa, since which period they have served either in the dockyard, or in the squadron. “Frank has acquired some knowledge as a mason, and might be employed as such, at an inferior rate of pay, in the dock-yard. The others are only labourers, and probably would have no objection to remain; but as I understand so many decisions have lately taken place respecting the freedom of slaves being established, by their having been either in England, or in the Colonies where slavery does not exist, that I consider it my duty to make this claim in their favour. “I have, &c. “J. BRENTON.” “NAVY BOARD.”