LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 480, 31 December 1875, Page 3

LITERATURE.

MUTINY ON BOARD. ( Concluded .) MaeNab's answer was a pistol shot; Williams staggered, but recovered himself, levelled his musket, fired, and Mae Nab fell dead in my arms. In a moment 1 was knocked down, bound, and thrust aside to be a helpless spactator of crimes I could not move a linger to prevent. Some of the ruffians rushed down the cabin stairs, and returned, dragging poor Phipps with them. With brutal jests they bore him to the lee bulwarks, one took his shoulders, another his feet, and they tossed him alive into the sea. All the sailors or marines who were sick, or had been wounded in the struggle, were in like manner thrown overboard ; the remainder wore gathered together in a body, and Williams, who had evidently been elected chief, made them a speech, offering them their lives if they would join them heartily. Most of them shrank from the horrible death before them, and acceded, but a corporal of marines stood linn. ‘ You will all be taken and hanged within a month,’ he boldly said, ‘and I had sooner drown with honest men than swing with thieves and murderers,’

The words were hardly out of his mouth when he was shot dead.

‘And now, lads,’ cried _ Williams, ‘I know ■what you are all thinking of—the rum!’ (cheers.) ‘Well, every man shall have a tot, and a few at a time shall have a skinful. But most of us must keep sober to manage the ship, so I have set a guard over

the spirit room’ and any man who tries to force it will have his brains blown out, I will you what I propose to do, if you agree. There are some islands near where we arc with best climate, the finest fruit, and plenty of food without working for it. We will make for one of these, land everything out of this rotten old ship, and then scuttle her. You have made me your captain, and I appoint Lloyd my chief officer. Ho is a sailor, and knows where these islands are, and how to reach them, so he will sail the ship. ’ Loud acclamations greeted this address, and the assenbly adjourned to the grog tubs.

I was not long left unmolested ; a knot of fellows gathered round me, and discussed what they should do with me, and one at last suggested that I should be made to swallow the contents of my medicine chest, which was forthwith brought up for the purpose, and some calomel pills were actually forced into my mouth. How I wished that I had been a homioopath ! While I was struggling, a man came up. * What are you doing with the doctor ? ’ he asked excitedly, ‘ didn’t the captain say he wasn’t to be touched ?—He wants to see you, sir, down in the cabin, ’ he added civilly to me. My persecutors slunk off, grumbling, and my deliverer cut my bonds and led me to Williams, who had been shot in the shoulder, and wanted his wound attended to. I managed to extract the bullet, and when he was easier he said—

‘ I am sorry for all these horrors, doctor, I swear I am. But you know the men I have to deal with, and how slight my hold is upon them. You have been kind to many of them, and are useful besides, so I managed to save your life, but when I said a word for the others they would not listen. As for Mac Nab, he fired at me first, or he would never have fallen by my hand.’ ‘You are responsible to God and the law, not to me,’ I replied. Ought I to have refused to tend his wound? Was it my duty to beard and upbraid him ? Ido not know ; life is sweet, and I wished and tried to preserve it, excusing my pusillanimity at the time by the thought that my testimony, if I survived, might bring the whole body of rascals to justice.

I quite understood the tenure upon which my life was held, in spite of Williams’ plausible speeches. There were many sick, and several wounded, both by the storm and in the fight when the vessel was seized, and they needed my services. When they thought they could do without me, I should be silenced for ever, together with every other probable witness against them. Meanwhile, the ship was kept on her course towards the Friendly Islands, under Lloyd’s management, and on the third day land was sighted.

That evening a sailor who had joined the mutineers on compulsion, and had been hurt came to me and said—

‘ I beg pardon, sir, but would you dress my wound on deck, where every one can see us. ’

1 saw he had a reason, and consented,

* I’ve something to say, sir, and don’t want to be seen talking to you in a private way, for fear of making them suspicious. Bill Hicks was at the mast-head on the lookout last watch, and he saw something he did not report, and that’s a British frigate, round the headland of that there island. JDon’fstart, sir. There’s only us of the old crew knows it; and we’ve had a boat ready to lower for some days ; it’s that one on the port-side, next the mizzen-mast. We mean to lower that quietly at nightfall, and let* it tow behind ; and then, later, such as can will get into it, cast off, and row for the 'frigate. If you like, sir, you had better lie down in the boat, and be lowered with it. Say you want a quiet read, or sleep, or something, if you’re seen. There’s a risk, of course, but not a big one. Lloyd’s half drunk now, and will be quite after a bit, and so will most of the others ; for now they have got to the islands, they think it’s all right. There’s only that Williams.’

‘I can manage him,’ said I; and we parted. Williams’ wound was painful and liis pulse feverish ; so he gladly swallowed a soporific Avhich would keep him quiet for some hours.

At the proper time I got into the boat indicated, the only men who could possibly see me being those at the wheel, who were both old members of the crew, and were prepared when they knew that Lloyd was quite overpowered by drink, to alter the course of the ship, and steer for the headland where the frigate had been seen. All went easier than had even been anticipated. When I had been towed away half-an-hour, the boat was lowered, and in a very little while three men stole into it, cut the rope by which we were towing, and when the ship had forged far enough ahead to prevent the phosphojrescuce of the oar-dips attracting attention, began to row in the direction of the headland.

In two hours’ time we turned it, and saw the lights of the frigate, against the sides of which, in another hour, the boat grated. ‘ Who goes there? ’ challenged a sentrjv'' * Medical officer escaped from a convict ship which has mutinied.’ 1 will not dwell on the joy with which I stood upon tli c deck, or on the heartiness of my reception, when I had made my report. The frigate weighed, and stood out to sea at once ; and in the early morning came up with the convict ship, boarded, and took her without resistance.

My evidence sufficed to clear the seamen and marines who had been forced into a pietended compliance with the projects of the mutineers, as also, some months afterwards, to secure the execution of all those who had taken a prominent part in the murder of my poor friends, Mae Nab and Phipps, seventeen of whom suffered the extreme penalty of the law at Sydney.