A pen and ink print depicting the island Fernando Po.

Fernando Po was a Spanish possession and one of three main islands off the west coast of Africa. In 1827, with Spanish consent, Britain took over the administration of the island and used it as a base for anti-slavery patrols. In 1841 the foreign secretary, Lord Palmerston (1784–1865), wanted to establish a British trading colony on the island and offered to purchase it for £50,000. Spain refused and reclaimed the island in 1844. The port continued to welcome Royal Navy vessels, but it also provided refuge for a number of Cuban and Brazilian slave ships.