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Friday 22 August 2014

British officer mentioned the capture of the Dutch-flagged frigate Shawfield in the East Indies according to the Dutch newspaper De Curacaosche courant dated 13 March 1819

An item referred to a letter dated Port St. Louis 14th July 1819 [?] written by an officer of the British HMS Magicienne stationed in the East Indies reported the capture of a large ship Netherlands-flagged with false papers. He called her the frigate Shawfield of 750 tons built at Batavia, Dutch East Indies and pierced for 40 guns with gun ports completely fitted out. She was condemned for violating the Navigation Act for loading a forbidden cargo while she was not English-flagged. All officers were British and it was her maiden voyage. Building costs 24.000 British ponds, value of the cargo estimated to be 60.000-70.000 British ponds of which the price money was to be 30.000 British ponds and the share of the officer would be 800 British ponds.