Page:Trials of the Slave Traders Samo, Peters and Tufft (1813).pdf/16

 W M. S KELTON sworn. Evidence.—He was born in the Rio Pongas, is 18 years old, and was educated at Liverpool, in England; he is two years returned from England; he is clerk to Samo, the prisoner, who was a slave-factor, in the Rio Pongas, but has left that river, and settled at the Isles de Loss; Mr. Samo sent off the last slaves in January, 1812. The slaves were fifteen in number; he thinks he sent them on freight to the Havannah ; Mr. Samo's correspondent there is Colin Mitchell. Caruth was the name of the supercargo of the vessel in which Mr. Samo shipped off the slaves; Mr. Samo sent two boys away on wages, he sent the fifteen slaves away in the name of the witness, Wm. Skelton; he heard, and believes, Mr. Samo had a share in the cargo of slaves that went off in November, 1811; and that he sent off at that time twenty slaves, and half a ton of rice. There were goods came from Wilson's to Samo's factory at that time, consisting of two hogsheads of tobacco, gunpowder, cloth, rum, and molasses; witness supposes these articles might have been the price of the twenty slaves; he believes the vessel landed her cargo of goods for the barter of slaves at Wilson's factory. Mr. Samo has now at his factory between twenty and thirty new slaves, who have been let out of irons above two months by the witness himself. He never heard Mr. Samo say he was an Englishman.

A letter was here produced from Wilson to Samo.

Wilson's hand-writing was proved, and it was also proved that it was taken out of Samo's private desk. Wilson acknowledges in this letter that he had sent two slaves of Samo by the vessel Samadada, or Eagle, and accounts with Samo for them. A letter from the prisoner to Wm. Skelton was proved, which informed him that Samo was still in prison, that he was doubtful and appre-