Capture of the Veloz Passagera

The Capture of Veloz Passagera was a single ship action that occurred during the United Kingdom's blockade of Africa in the early and mid 19th century. Royal Navy sloop-of-war HMS Primrose, of eighteen guns, under Captain William Broughton, captured the much larger twenty gun Cuban slave ship under Master Jozé Antonio de la Vega.

Capture
Primrose encountered the Veloz Passagera off West Africa, in the day, near Prince's Island on 7 September 1830. A severe engagement ensued and the British successfully captured the hostile vessel. Forty-three slavers out of 150 were killed in action and another twenty were wounded while the Royal Marines and sailors lost three killed and twelve wounded. The engagement was one of the few fought during several decades of anti-slavery operations off the African coast and the most significant in terms of casualties and the strength of the opposing forces. Veloz Passagera had a cargo of 555 slaves aboard her and her surviving crew was charged with piracy in England. On 6 Jun 1831 account of proceeds of the bounty granted for 551 slaves and a moiety of the hull, etcetera, were deposited in the Registry of the High Court of Admiralty on 16 June. The Veloz was sent Sierra Leone for adjudication by the British and the Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, which condemned her on 16 October 1830. Captain Broughton sailed Primrose back to England as well, leaving Africa in December to follow up on the court proceedings.