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 [1837. Friends, a gentleman engaged in the examination into slave affairs.

On the morning of the 22nd we reached Port Royal, and just as we were letting the steam off and about to anchor, I was informed that a large ship seen outside was her Majesty's ship Forte, Commodore Pell, bound to Carthagena. I directed the commander to proceed after her immediately, and it being calm, very soon had the pleasure of waiting on Commodore O. Pell, who took me under his immediate protection as an old friend of my father's; the steamer was then released for packet duty.

I now learned, that as war, or rather a close blockade of the ports of New Granada, had been proclaimed by Commodore Sir J. Peyton, under present circumstances it would have been unsafe to proceed to Panama viâ Chagres, and therefore remained quietly the guest of my kind friend, Commodore, (now Sir O. Pell).

The cause of this rupture is already well known: I shall therefore merely observe that until the terms sent out by Lord Palmerston were fully acceded to, I saw but little chance of reaching my ship, which caused me some uneasiness; fearing that the acting commander of the Sulphur, on finding that the state of affairs precluded the chance of communication would move away to survey some other port until amicable relations were restored.

On the 25th we arrived off Carthagena, where we found her Majesty's ship Madagascar, bearing