Slave ships on the ocean. Wood engraving by Smyth, 1858.

"We give on the next page an engraving of the chase of a slaver, terminating in her capture, by her Majesty's steamer Alecto, off the Zair or Congo, west coast of Africa. The Alecto had information that a vessel would ship slaves at a certain time in or about the Congo, and she therefore gave out that she was out of coal and would have to go to St. Paul's de Loanda for them, which intelligence the slavedealers at Punta de Linha had been some days expecting. One night the Alecto left the Congo, and, after steaming a little to the southward, altered course to north, and placed itself in a position to intercept any vessel leaving the Congo or neighbouring slave places; and at 2.30 p.m. of the 3rd Nov. a sail was reported a little on the lee bow coming out from the land on port tack, close-hauled. The particulars of the chase are thus told by an officer of the Alecto., to whom we are indebted for the accompanying sketch:-"We shortened and furled all sail, drew forward fires, and went on in chase. The stranger was soon made out to be the Windward, At 4:30 we set fore and aflt sails; at, 5.30 set topsails and topgallant-sails, showed our colours, and fired a blank gun; found chase was leaving us fast, and showing no colours; at 6 p.m. fired a shot ahead of her. The stranger still gaining on us, we fired several shot at her; but ceased firing as the shot fell short of her, the wind being fresh, with considerable motion. During the night we had great difficulty, by reason of the moon being partly hid by clouds, to keep sight of chase. As the wind rose or fell so we neared or distanced each other. During the night we kept the few hands we had left in the ship (five prize-crews being away) at quarters, in case the chase should suddenly alter course. At 2.40 a.m. stranger kept away, the wind falling a little, and consequently we closed her sufficiently to bring her within range; at 3 we fired two shot at stranger, on which she hove to. On boarding her she was found to have on board a cargo of upwards of 600 slaves, in very good condition; the person we supposed to be the master declined to produce any colours or papers, observing 'that the cargo was quite sufficient for us.' He called his vessel the Lucia, but we well knew her to be the Windward: she is 177 tons, American measurement. We took her to St. Helena, and during the passage 149 slaves, men, women, and boys, died from the effects of being so hastily shipped and in so small a vessel. This makes the seventh prize taken by the Alecto in about two months."-- Illustrated London news, loc. cit.