The HMS Black Joke was the scourge of enslavers and proof that the suppression of the slave trade wasn’t an impossible mission.
A painting of the Black Joke engaging the Spanish slave brig, El Almirante, in the Bay of Benin in 1829.y the time Henry Downes took command of the Black Joke, the ship had only been on the waters under that name for just a year. A former slave ship itself, the Black Joke was captured in 1827 by the
There was no question that the two-gunned Black Joke, with a crew of 47 plus a temporary supplement of eight men from another Squadron ship, was hugely outpowered in just about every measure.
This shift in conditions allowed Forgannes to get off a shot that could well have been deadly for everyone aboard the Black Joke had it been better aimed. A light wind 15 minutes later allowed El Almirante, buoyed by the near miss and even more confident in success, to once again take the offensive and move in for another attack. The breeze wasn’t much, but it was enough to give the more maneuverable ship the advantage, and Downes knew exactly which ship that was.
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