7255. Did you consider them as assisting in the equipment of the vessel?--They were assisting in the equipment of the vessel, and it was with that view I sent them up; and, moreover, their evidence, if the court had required it, would have been necessary to show that the vessel was absolutely equipping in a British port; but perhaps the vessel would have been condemned without it. 7256. What was the result of the trial?--The vessel was condemned. 7257. Mr. _Forster_.] If the vessel was so fully equipped for the purposes of the slave trade, as you stated, how could the evidence of those carpenters be necessary at Sierra Leone?--I have stated that the vessel was partly equipped, and was completing her equipment in the port of St. Mary’s; those carpenters being on board, I considered that it was necessary that I should send them to Sierra Leone for the court to decide in what way they were punishable. 7258. Were not representations made to you from the shore that those people were carpenters belonging to the settlement, hired by the master of the vessel, and in no way answerable for his proceedings, or for the destination of the vessel?--No official representation was made to me; perhaps some merchant, or some person connected with some mercantile houses on shore might have told me so, but I certainly paid no attention to it, nor did I consider myself bound to pay attention to any thing of the sort. Had an official representation been made to me from the governor, of course it would require my greatest attention; but if an officer in the execution of his duty is to be guided by every person that he may meet in the settlement telling him this, that, or the other, there would be no possibility of his ever performing his duty. 7259. But at all events you knew that they were native workmen, belonging to the British settlement at the Gambia?--Yes; I knew that from their own story. I sent them up with the vessel, and put them into court with the vessel, and moreover acquainted the lieutenant-governor of the Gambia officially that I intended doing so. 7260. Were they put in prison upon their arrival at Sierra Leone?--I was not at Sierra Leone when the vessel arrived. To the best of my knowledge they were confined about a month. 7261. _Chairman._] Were they condemned?--I do not know. 7262. Mr. _Aldam_.] Were they confined preparatory to trial, or after sentence?--I forget, for I was not at Sierra Leone at the time; but I believe it was the Vice-Admiralty Court that confined them. 7263. Mr. _Forster_.] Do you know whether the carpenters were tried or not?--I do not know; I was not at Sierra Leone during the trial of the vessel, but I believe I arrived at Sierra Leone the very day that the vessel was condemned in the Vice-Admiralty Court.