The following is an extract of a letter dated Sierra Leone, December 15, 1846 :

On the 1st ult., arrived Her Majesty's brig Cygnet, having in tow the Brazilian brigantine Paquete do Rio, of about 70 tons burden, with 647 slaves on board, captured off Sherbro on the 27th October, and brought to this port for adjudication in the Vice Admiralty Court. The following are the authentic particulars relative to this vessel :

About the middle of last August the Paquete do Rio arrived at Sierra Leone with a cargo consisting of merchandise and rum, and having on board as passenger Mr S. P M. Campos, His Imperial Brazilian Majesty's Vice Consul at this port. After remaining a short period in this harbour, she sailed to Yawry Bay ; a short distance to the southward where the timber is collected, and there landed her spirits (it being out of the jurisdiction of this colony.) After this proceeding, the Paquete do Rio again returned to Sierra Leone, whence she subsequently (on the 6th of October) sailed for the southward and Rio, in ballast, and water and provisions for her passengers, twenty in number, consisting of some of the crews of former slavers. Before her departure however, she underwent a careful overhauling by an officer from the [HMS] Wanderer, but nothing could be found on board to expose her real intentions. In beating down to the southward she subsequently made acquaintance with Lieutenant __________, who boarded her, from Her Majesty's sloop Contest, on the 24th of October, off Sherbro, but even Lieutenant ________'s lynx eyes saw nothing whereby he could detain the vessel. [Lieutenant _________, was formerly in Her Majesty's brig Lynx, and has had some experience in these matters] ; though, no doubt, from his experience, he soon guessed her intention. The slaver, having got safely over this last encounter, ran in for the shore, and on the evening of the 26th, or rather from the 24th to the 26th of October she shipped the whole of her equipment, water-casks, &c., with 556 slaves ! and immediately bore up for the northward, thinking I presume, to escape the Contest. In this she was successful (had she gone southward, it would not have been the case), but unluckily, Her Majesty's brig Cygnet hove in sight ; and gave chase, and, while the slaver made all sail to escape capture, a French brig of war was observed in the distance to the northward, but her Majesty's brig Cygnet was not long in coming up, and ere long the famous Paquete do Rio was a prize, and the glad shouts of 549 human beings "were echoed o'er the briny deep," invoking blessings on their deliverers. Many of these poor wretches were chained by iron rods passed through iron rings fastened round their necks.

Together with the slaves, numbering 549, were the passengers and crew, about 30, making in all about 579 human beings packed in a small vessel of only 70 tons. I shall dispense with giving a more detailed description of the horrible sight which presented itself, and merely state that the Cygnet arrived in Sierra Leone on the 1st November, towing the prize, which was subsequently adjudicated in the Vice-Admiralty Court.- London paper.

SG & SGTL ; Vol 4 ; Page 147.

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