MUTINY IN A FRENCH SLAVE SHIP.

Colonist, Issue 95, 17 September 1858, Page 4

MUTINY IN A FRENCH SLAVE SHIP.

Thr royal mail steamship Ethiope, from the west coast of Africa, brings news of the mutiny of the passengers of the Regina Ceeni, £Japtain Simon. This vessel was a French ship of 420 tons, employed under the new trade to procure natives for labor in' the French colonies. She had been about a month off the neighborhood of Cape Palmas, and had succeeded in collecting on board as many as 500 of the soi-disant emigrants." The Regina Cosni was fitted up in every respect as a slave ship, and her passengers had been induced to take a passage in her for a better country, where, they were told, their circumstances would be much improved. For their passage they were to pay thirty shillings. The vessel was ostensibly to sail for the Mauritius, although it is said her destiny was probably near the Havana. Immediately on the arrival of the emigrants on board they found themselves confined as close prisoners, the regular slave irons being produced. Afeeling of distrust among them that they had been kidnapped was the consequent result. About the 7th or Bth of April the captain, having allowed too large a number of passengers on deck, while a large portion of his crew were about to leave the vessel in a boat, the former seized the ship's guns and muskets, liberated their companions, and opened fire on the boats, and a scene of massacre ensued. About six of the crew and the captain went on shore, and all the rest were murdered, with the exception of the doctor, whose life was spared, and two of. the crew, who were preserved to steer the ship. This affair took place off/ Cape Mount, on the 15th of April. About 250 of the mutineers swam ashore ', the whole of them were murdered, as they landed, by natives, under the command of the captain of the vessel. The Ethiope subsequently went in search of the Regina, and fell in with her off the Galleus, when, after a brief parley, the remainder of the emigrants on board agreed to surrender to Captain Croft. The vessel was taken into Monrovia where she remains in charge of Mr. M'Kelvie.