The National Intelligencer And Washington Advertiser

Extract of a letter from an American gentleman at the Cape of Good Hope dated, March 10th, 1806.

"All the American vessels that put in at this place since its capture by the British, underwent a long and tedious examination, before the several Commanders of the different ships of war, composing his Britannic Majesty's squadron in the Bay, who, by appointment of the commandant, Sir Home Popham, formed themselves into a committee of enquiry, or prize committee. These characters, being apparently unacquainted with mercantile laws and customs, were totally unqualified for the task of investigating commercial transactions, & discharged the trust in the most awkward manner, utterly void of every species of regularity and with a supercilious indifference, whereby many Americans suffered infamous insults and abuse. The interrogatories put to several masters and supercargoes of American vessels, were preposterous and insignificant, and their impertinence is in many instances insufferable. The pocket-book was taken from the pocket of a supercargo from Philadelphia; the captain of whose vessel, for independently speaking in behalf of his property was abruptly told that "THE AMERICANS WERE ALL A SET OF WORTHLESS DAMNED RASCALS." Officers were sent on board some of the American vessels, with orders from their commander to take charge, without consulting or giving any information to the agents of the property, why or wherefore; upon application to the committee, no satisfaction was given; one saying, for instance, the ship was to be sent to England for adjudication, the other contradicting it, turning to some frivolous subject, going out of the room and leaving the enquirer alone amazed at their fastidious impudence.

In this trifling manner, many of the Americans have been ridiculously treated; their property left in the most dangerous state of suspense, to encounter the impetuosity of the eastern gales that daily threatened the ships with imminent danger, without being looked after either by the owners or captains, and as though 2 or 300 thousand dollars was not worth their notice; by representing this precarious situation, the sufferer runs a hazard of being egregiously insulted with the most approbious language. An elderly master of a ship, of Philadelphia, whose apparent age alone commanded respect, when complaining of the perilous situation of his ship, was harshly told to go to hell. No redress for their grievances could be obtained; the squadron was frequently absent, and the secretary to the committee, who was left on shore, acknowledged he knew nothing!! The ship Union of Philadelphia, immediately on her arrival was taken possession of by order of the commander of his majesty's ships, and an officer stationed on board; Mr. Robinson, the supercargo, repeatedly applied for the plea of this proceeding, obtained no satisfactory answer, he waited on the commandant, as the creator of this committee, who replied "you might as well ask the King a question regarding the court of Admiralty!" After which he addressed a note to the committee, demanding a determined and decisive answer, whether the ship was to go to England, and upon what pretext; a few days after the secretary informed Mr. R. officially, that the ship was to sent to England for adjudication. The only supposed cause of the detention of the ship, is, her having sailed from Amsterdam to Batavia. In this scandalous and unwarrantable style, many Americans have been trifed with; in such cases where the nature of the business was too evidently clear to bear inspection, they assumed the meanness of scoffing and animadverting upon the form and shape of persons before them, with the utmost indecency and disrespect, who, owing to their then dependent circumstances were obliged to submit to the offence."