A colored lithograph of the British Navy vessel, 'Acorn,' pursuing the Spanish slaver-brig, 'Gabriel.' Both vessels are in full sail and have fired at one another, as seen by the smoke and cannon holes in the sails. The 'Acorn' was the lead ship in William Symonds' second design for 16-gun brigs that were enlarged from the Racer Class. She spent her first commission between 1839 and 1843 off the coast of Africa as part of the British West Africa Squadron, established in 1808 in order to enforce the anti-slavery legislation of 1840 and protect legitimate traders.
On 6 July 1841, the H. M. 'Acorn' spotted a suspicious-looking brig, hovering on another vessel's weather quarter. The 'Gabriel' immediately gave chase. After a chase that lasted 12 hours, she was finally dismasted and captured. The captain of the prize escaped and was missing.
References:
Winfield, Rif. 'British Warships in the Age of Sail 1817-1863: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates' (Seaforth Publishing, 2014), 259-260.
The Society for the Extinction of the Slave Trade, and for the Civilization of Africa. 'The Friend of Africa' 1 (1841): 191.
