The Portuguese slaver Ceres at Curacao according to the Nederlandsche Staatscourant dated 16 December 1852

In the local newspaper Utrechtsche Courant were tidings from Curacao dated until 6 November published according to which the Portuguese schooner Ceres master Tomasini arrived there 24 October. On board were far more sailors as needed (totally 21 men) and the pilot discovered that the hold was nearly filled with very large water barrels so he suspected that she was destined for the slave trade. He reported to the governor who ordered the kings’ solicitor to investigate the ship with the result that her master was to leave the port the same afternoon. Her master requested while it was Sunday permission to stay to the next day to load victuals and which was allowed him to 07.00 the next morning. He however refused the next day to depart but was forced to so by war barges and left 08.30. Around 13.00 he came back but after one blank shot he sailed towards the south. She left Oporto with a cargo of victuals for the Azores and sailed for 157 days but visited a port underway. He came to Curacao for repairs and to load a cargo of salt for St. Jago de Cuba.