Charles Street, May 9th, 1797.
MY DEAREST BROTHER,
I cannot express to you my disappointment in the Portsmouth news,
which I found upon my return to town yesterday evening. By the post
of Saturday, the letters from the fleet were better than they had
ever been; and the officers themselves seemed in much better heart
and spirits. On Sunday, however, it broke out afresh:
representations were handed about, complaining that the speeches of
Lord Howe, Lord Spencer and the Duke of Clarence, were meant to
disappoint the seamen of what had been promised them, and it was
suggested that the 'Marlborough' was to be kept back, and made an
example of when the fleet had sailed. Upon these pretences, the
delegates began going round to each ship: Colpoys told his crew he
would not admit them; they mutinied, and he ordered his marines to
fire, who did so, and badly wounded four mutineers; but the fire
was returned by the crew, who overpowered the officers and the
marines, confined Colpoys, and threatened to hang Lieutenant Bover.
To save him, Colpoys asserted that Bover had been ordered so to act
by him, and that he had an order for this discipline from the
Admiralty, which order he gave to the delegates. The order was a
very proper order from the Admiralty to every captain, requiring
him to give no cause of complaint to the men on the subject of
provisions, requiring him to keep up a proper discipline, and to
exert a proper spirit in resisting any appearance of mutiny. This
order, we since hear, is stated as an act of treachery in the
Admiralty as against the seamen.
Upon this tumult in the 'London,' the crews of the other ships
took possession of the arms, and many confined their officers to
their cabins. The post of to-day brings no new or different state
of things, except an account that three of the mutineers are dead
in Haslar Hospital of their wounds; and that Campbell, Nichols,
Talbot, one or two other captains, and many lieutenants, have been
put on shore at St. Helen's.
A messenger was dispatched last night with the news of the vote of
the House of Commons having passed unanimously, but it is doubtful
whether in this high wind he could get to the fleet; and all these
circumstances show so little colour or pretence of real complaint,
that I cannot help fearing the evil is more deeply rooted in the
influence of Jacobin emissaries and the Corresponding Society, and
to their machinations the vote of yesterday will afford no answer.
Upon the whole, this is the worst state of things which I have
seen. The ground of the mischief is not known to the officers, and
as far as I can see, they have no heart or nerves to meet this
formidable calamity. With this wind they might have sailed; but
with what has happened in the 'London,' and with so many officers
put on shore, one can hardly now wish the fleet to sail.
The last accounts from Brest announce about twenty sail, but not in
a very forward state of readiness; but this state of our fleet
cannot be news to them, and they will doubtless profit of an
opportunity which perhaps they have themselves created.
At half-past one no news was come. If I hear more before the post
goes out, I will add it.
God bless you, dearest brother.