On its return, it was found that a party landed
from the Rattle- snake to garrison one of the little forts at Chamah had been attacked in like manner, and an English sailor murdered by the natives, in the act of landing from the surf. Besides this English sailor, three others of the party were killed, namely, one Kroo- man and two members of the Fantee police force. The whole loss in the two affairs was four killed and twenty wounded, but the injury to British prestige will be quite out of proportion to the loss ; and it is now pretty certain that we may trust the native tribes only vthen we can overpower them, and when they know that we can overpower them. The Commodore shelled the little town of Charnah in return for its treachery, and burnt it to ashes ; but it is not even supposed that any number of the enemy were killed, and probably the shelling would produce very little moral effect. It will take a very heavy blow, struck against our prin- cipal enemy, to restore confidence in our power.
