§ MR. A. M'ARTHURasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether his attention has been called to the continuance of disturbances in British Sherbro, and especially to Reuter's telegram reporting the roasting alive of fifty persons charged with witch- 547 craft; and, if he is able to say whether the persons thus said to have been murdered were slaves, prisoners of war, or British subjects; and, what steps Her Majesty's Government intend to take to re-establish British authority in the Country?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYNo Report has been received at the Colonial Office as to the alleged roasting alive of persons in British Sherbro. And as to the disturbances generally, I may say that, having consulted Mr. Havelock, the Governor of Sierra Leone, who happens at present to be at home, I think that the rumours and statements which have arrived are certainly exaggerated. We know, however, that Mr. Pinkett, the officer administering the Government, has arrived at the disturbed district with an adequate force of police and troops, and I hope that next mail may bring us news of the entire re-establishment of order.