Slave Trade--Downes, Henry.

with log entries recording daily position and occasional remarks, most noting the capture of slave ships, of the Sybille, 20 April 1827 to 31 May 1829, and of the Black Joke, 18 November 1828 to 16 April 1829, together with memoranda, notes, and copies of documents, mostly relating to the seizure of El Almirante on 1 February 1829, including a list of crew involved in the action, "List of Slave Vessels captured by H.M.S. Sybille & Tender from May 1827 to May 1829" (1 page), glossary of phrases in the "Accou Language" (1 page), damage sustained in the battle with the Almirante, copies of letters concerning the Almirante affair, "Observations and Information collected from Crew of "El Almirante" after the Action" (4 pages), song commemorating the victory, summary of Almirante's accounts showing the economics of the slave trade, standing orders issued by Commodore Collier of the Sybille, 14 May 1827 and 12 September 1827 (26 pages, written horizontally to the page), 115 pages, plus blanks, 8vo,

A detailed record of a naval officer's involvement in the Royal Navy's attempt to suppress the trans-Atlantic slave trade. When he started keeping this log, Lt. Henry Downes was an officer on the Sybille, but on 18 November 1828 he records that "Commodore appointed me to the Command of Black Joke Tender. Lt. Turner having been promoted", and for the following five months he commanded this small speedy clipper as she patrolled the Slave Coast.

Downes's command of the Black Joke was dominated by his dramatic success in capturing a much larger and more heavily armed Spanish brig, El Almirante, as he describes in his dispatch to his commanding officer:

"...3.15 he wore, when, considering the disparity of out Broad sides I resolved to board ... he succeeded in bringing his starboard Guns to bear, from which he kept up a steady fire with Round and Grape. 3.30 light winds, he endeavouring wear brought us into close contact, when we took a commanding position on his Larboard Quarter, our 2 Guns and small arms raking him Fore and Aft. 3.50, having completely silences his Fire, They hailed to say "they had struck" a light air at this time springing up enabled me to lug him aboard. when we took possession of the chase, which proved to be "El Almirante" of Havannah. 3 days from Lagos with 466 slaves..."