AFRICANS ON BOARD.-NEARLY FOUR THOUSAND RECAPTURED AFRICANS LANDED IN LIBERIA WITHIN THREE MONTHS. Government House, Monrovia, October 18, 1860. DEAR SIR-Having written you so very frequently and lengthily within the last two months, almost supercedes the necessity of a line from me by this opportunity. This goes by the bark Cora, of New York, which anchored in our harbor on the 14th, with about seven hundred recaptives on board, a prize to the flag-ship Constellation. I learn another may be expected daily. I need not comment, as I have written you previously fully on this matter. For humanity's sake, relieve us! and the poor unfortunate creatures cast among us, as soon as possible! We feel much interest in all those people, and hope the Society will, as suggested by me under date of 25th August, enable us to do our duty to them. Our public affairs as yet are moving on tolerably quiet. We have had very abundant crops this season, and the trade has been unusually large, as full statistics that will be issued in December, will show. I am confidently hoping to hear from the Society through you in December. Yours, very respectfully, STEPHEN A. BENSON. Rev. R. R. GURLEY, Cor. Sec. A. C. S. Monrovia, October 17, 1860. MY DEAR SIR-I wrote to you very fully by Dr. Young, and have now the startling announcement to make, that the bark Cora came into this port on Sunday evening last, the 14th, with six hundred and ninety-four recaptured Africans, a prize to our flag-ship Constellation. Thus, since the 21st of August, no less than two thousand one hundred and seventy-seven Congoes have been thrown on my care, besides those by your three ships. I am very much perplexed to find cloth with which to clothe these naked savages, and money to cash my drafts for their support. I have exhausted every thing in the place, and not two-thirds are supplied. I shall write to you fully by the Mendi, to sail the last of this month. * * * Rev. W. MCLAIN, F. Sec. A. C. S. Very respectfully yours, JOHN SEYS, The Boston Daily Advertiser contains the following letter on the subject of this capture: U. S. Ship Constellation, St. Paul de Loando, Sept. 30. We arrived here this afternoon, after a cruise of twenty-two days' duration off the coast, during which we have visited all the slave ports of importance from this place as far to the northward as Loango. Nothing very remarkable occurred until the evening of the 25th, being about eighty miles from the coast and to the southward of the Congo river, when a sail was discovered about five miles to the windward, steering northwest. We made all sail, and after three and a half hours' chase succeeded in overhauling her, firing four thirty-two pound shot before she hove to. She proved to be the bark Cora, of New York, one day out from the coast, and having on board 705 slaves. Sailing master Eastman, with an armed crew of fifteen men, was immediately sent on board and took charge of her as a prize. Her officers and crew, amounting to twenty-eight persons, were transferred to this ship, and with the exception of her first, second, and third mates, who were sent to the United States in her as prisoners, were brought to this port. During the chase she made every exertion to escape, showing no lights, and throwing overboard her boats, hatches, spare spars, and in fact, clearing her spar deck of everything moveable to lighten the vessel. She had on board a Spanish and an American crew. An individual giving the name of Lorretto Rinz (supposed to be fictitious) was found on board, and stated that he was master of the vessel. His real name is supposed to be Latham, by whom the vessel was cleared at New York. Six of the Spanish crew were sent in her to take charge of the slaves until she arrives at Monrovia, where they with the slaves will be landed, and the latter delivered to the United States agent for liberated Africans, after which the vessel is to proceed to Norfolk. Master T. H. Eastman, Midshipman W. B. Hall, and a crew of fourteen men, were sent to the United States in charge of the prize. No colors or papers were found on board. She is a fine bark, newly coppered, of about 450 tons and about eight years in service, and was formerly owned by Gov. Morgan, of New York. She is also a very fast sailer, and it is doubtful whether she would have been captured had any other vessel of the 66 squadron been in pursuit of her. To increase the vigilance of the men stationed at the lookouts," Captain Nicholas offered a reward of $50 to be paid to the person first sighting a vessel with slaves on board; and after the capture of the Cora, paid the above amount to one of our seamen. Since her capture the reward has been raised to $120, the ward-room officers giving fifty and the steerage twenty. Hereafter slavers had better give the Constellation a wide berth. Corporal James Edwards, United States marines, died on board, of disease of the heart, on the 28th, and was buried on the following day. The steamer Mystic, Lieutenant Leroy, is in port, while all the other vessels of the squadron are cruising along the coast. Commander S. W. Godon has been reinstated to the command of the steamer Mohican. The bark Ann and Mary is to sail to-morrow morning for Salem, and will take our mail. October 1.-The storeship Relief arrived this morning, from Boston, bringing a large mail for the squadron, including files of the Daily Advertiser. Within the last six weeks 2,221 recaptured Africans have been sent to Monrovia, having been captured on board the following vessels, by our present African squadron, viz: The ship Erie, of New York, captured by the steamer Mohican, Commander S. W. Godon, on the 8th of August, with 897 slaves on board. The brig Storm King, also captured on the 8th of August, by the steamer San Jacinto, Captain T. A. Dornin, and having on board 619 slaves; and the bark Cora, captured by the flag-ship Constellation, Captain Jno. S. Nicholas, in the vicinity of Manque Grande, with 705 slaves. The last named was amply fitted out for a long voyage, and in her cabin was found every luxury suitable for a tropical climate, consisting of the choicest wines, preserved meats, fruits, &c., &c. * * * * * The Cora, here reported as having been seized with a fresh cargo of slaves on board, was recorded as follows in the list of slavers puklished in the Evening Post of July 28: "No. 19. Bark Cora, 431 tons, Latham, from New York. Cleared by master. Owned at Havana. Vessel detained and discharged. Allowed to sail under bonds. Fitted out by a mongrel Spaniard." The Cora was detained under examination at this port from May 19th, 1860, until she was allowed to sail on the 27th of June following. Her second clearance was granted, as had been the custom in previous cases where vessels were bonded. The collector, however, as in the case of the barks Kate and Weather Guage, has since refused second clearances where vessels are strongly suspected of engaging in the slave trade. The Cora was bonded in the sum of $22,128 on the 23d of June, 1860. The bondsmen are Charles Newman, of Brooklyn, and Robert Griffiths.-Correspondence of the Boston Daily Advertiser. On Saturday evening, the 8th ult., the Cora was brought into New York, as a prize, in command of Lieut. T. H. Eastman, U. S. Navy. The first, second, and third officers, named Frederick, Wilson, and Olsen, were brought in irons as prisoners. A letter dated on board the Constellation, September 17th, describes the chase for this swiftsailing barque, which before her capture had thrown over everything which tended to impede her escape. Several shots were fired, but she held on her way, until the Constellation came very near her, and orders were given to fire a shell into her. Says the writer: "The gun was trained, the match blown, and two seconds more and she would have had it right into her hull. But her sails came to the mast at last, and of course the firing was countermanded. We were so close that we had barely time to round to on her weather quarter and brace back. We sent two boats on board of her, and she proved the Cora, of which we had a full description, and for which we had been cruising about for some length of time. As she lay under our lee she looked like a picture, and no other sailing craft could have taken her, but the Constellation can beat any thing that is under sail. As soon as our boats reached the Cora, our first lieutenant, from her forecastle, hailed us that we had a fat prize,' and we gave three cheers. The slaver's officers and crew were taken on board and confined, and the Cora was declared a prize to the Constellation. I believe that she had neither flag nor papers on board when taken. The chase lasted four hours and a half. She had seven hundred and five slaves on board, that were shipped at Mango Grando the night before, and had only been in the vessel twenty-four hours when taken." 6 In announcing the capture, the Herald justly condemns the abuse thrown upon the present administration, and remarks: "Yet strange to say, no four other administrations that ever held power did more, practically, to suppress the African slave trade than that of Mr. Buchanan. The activity of our squadrons, both on the African Coast and in the Gulf, for the past four years, forms a most remarkable example in the history of that service. Thousands of Africans have been captured by our cruisers off the African Coast and returned to Liberia; within the six weeks preceding the 1st of last October, three slavers, having on board 2,221 Africans, were captured by our squadron off the Coast and returned to Monrovia, and we have news now of the capture of the Cora, with 705 slaves on board. The service off Cuba has been still more active in preventing the landing of slaves. Within a year or so, no less than five slavers were intercepted, and their human cargoes, to the amount of nearly three thousand souls, were rescued and returned to their homes at immense expense to the Government." On the subject of these Recaptured Africans, the Liberia Christian Advocate of September 12th, thus expresses its views: OUR NEWLY DEVOLVED RESPONSIBILITY. Within the few days last past, there have been precipitated upon our shores, with the suddenness of an avalanche, 2,600 natives |