Edward S. Ripley’s sworn statement., this 28th day day of December, 1878

Edward S. Ripley’s sworn statement.

My name is Edward S. Ripley; I am second officer of the bark Laconia, and was officer of the boat waiting for the captain at Johanna, on the 10th of July last, about 7 o’clock p.m.; it was about this time, I should judge, when I heard the captain hailing the boat from the beach, upon which I ordered the men to pull in. As soon as the boat struck the sand, which she did, I should judge, about; 40 feet from the water-mark, as the water was very shallow, the boat had no sooner struck than two men (Similla and M’Cassa, identified as being the same ones) came off and clambered into the boat of their own accord, and lay down in the bottom of the boat;. they had to wade off at least 40feet in the water; I saw them coming, but didn’t know what for, but thought very likely they might be runaways; I said nothing to them, as I knew we were short-handed; after the men had got into the boat, not hearing anything more of the captain, I ordered the boat to be pulled off in a little deeper water, but hardly got her turned around when I again heard the captain’s voice hailing the boat, and we again put for the beach, where the captain was standing, and as we neared the beach another negro came wading off and got into the boat that was at least 40 feet from the water-line on the beach; one of our own men then went and took the captain on his back and waded him off to the boat.

This man Fereggie attempted of his own accord to pull one of the oars going off, but as he knew nothing about it, I ordered him to give it up to one of our men, which he did. I most solemnly swear there was no force or coercion used to get either of the men into the boat, or on board the ship; they seemed only too glad to get away.

Again, while lying at anchor in Zanzibar harbor, on the evening of December 26, 1878, a boat from Her Britannic Majesty’s ship London came alongside with two officers-in her, who came on board to search the vessel, which Mr. Cornell, our chief officer, refused to let them do without the captain’s orders; so one of the officers, whom I think I afterwards heard called Mr. Johnson, said to the other, “I will leave you here in charge, and I will go ashore and find the captain.”

I had no idea these three Johanna men were slaves, and I did not consider or treat them as such; they were and have been, treated exactly the same as the rest of the sailors. About 9 p.m., I should judge, the captain and Mr. Johnson came on board,, all hands were turned out of their berths, and one of the officers searched the forecastle; then the three negroes from Johanna were pointed out to Mr. Johnson, and after some conversation with the captain, which I did not hear (being on the other side of the deck), they were finally taken in the boat to Her Britannic Majesty’s ship London, one officer and a cockswain remaining on board the Laconia, after which I knew nothing more of the matter, as I went to my bed.

George Antonio, boatsteerer, sworn:

I am a boatsteerer on board of the bark Laconia, and was steering the boat on the evening of July 10, 1878, when we were lying just off from the beach waiting for the captain. I remember very distinctly of the three Johanna men coming off to the boat and clambering in of their own accord.

The rest of this man’s statement is the same in substance as that given by the captain and Mr. Ripley, second officer, he like those two most solemnly swearing that there was no force of any kind used to get the men into the boat or ship.

Squer S. Cornell, first officer, sworn:

I am first officer of bark Laconia, of New Bedford, now lying at anchor in Zanzibar Harbor.

About 8 o’clock p.m., on the evening of December 26, a boat from Her Britannic Majesty’s ship London, with two armed officers in uniform in her, came on board and wanted to see the ship’s papers as well as to search the ship for slaves. I told them the ship’s papers were deposited at the United States consulate, and if they wanted to search the ship, they had better see the captain first; so one of the officers got into the boat and started for the shore, saying to the other one whom he left on board, “I will leave you here in charge” (or words to that effect) “and go on shore to find the captain;” this was about 8 p.m. I should judge.

At about 9 p.m. the boat returned with the captain and Mr. Johnson (I believe), who asked the captain to allow him to search the vessel, to which the captain assented; accordingly all hands were called on deck, after which Mr. Johnson went into the forecastle and searched it himself, then came out, looked over the men, and picked out four of them, but finally only selected three, whom he ordered aft.

Mr. Johnson (?) and the captain then went below and had some conversation together, after which they again came on deck, and Mr. Johnson (?), through the interpreter, ordered the three negroes into the boat; I heard Mr. Johnson (?) ask the captain if he had any objection to his taking them, and the captain said he had, and that he should hold him responsible for the men if he took them away; the boat then pulled for Her Britannic Majesty’s ship London, leaving an armed officer and the cockswain of the boat on board of the Laconia.

About half an hour afterwards the same boat and officer returned, and took the officer and the cockswain, whom he had left on board, and returned to his ship.

The next day (27th, about 12 o’clock noon), Mr. Johnson (?) brought the three negroes back to the Laconia, he coming on board, and requested a receipt for the three men, which I gave him. I asked him what he had made out of the case, and he replied, “It was all right;” which, as I understood it, the affair was there ended.

Frank S. Webster sworn:

I am the steward of the American bark Laconia, of New Bedford, Mass., now lying at anchor in this harbor of Zanzibar.

On the evening of the 26th December the captain came down in the cabin with an armed officer, whom I afterwards ascertained came from Her Britannic Majesty’s ship London; the captain, as he came down, woke me up and ordered me to get out his account or slop-chest book, and which he showed to the officer, with the accounts therein.

The officer had some conversation with the captain about writing his objections to the three Johanna negroes being taken out of the ship to Her Britannic Majesty’s ship London, the captain saying he did not know what form the objections ought to be written in, as I understood it, but after some talk the officer said he would be responsible for the men, and then the captain said he would have nothing further to say; as the conversation was not addressed to me, I would not swear the above was all that was said, but only that it was all that I heard. I distinctly remember, however, hearing the captain say, “I do object to it,” meaning taking the men out of the ship, and he also said that before any more steps were taken in the matter, he wanted it reported to the American consul, where the ship’s papers were then deposited.

The officer then went on board the London for orders, leaving another officer and the cockswain of the boat aboard. I do not know what time he came back, or whether he took the three negroes with him the first or second time.

I went to my bed shortly after the boat started for the London the first time.