"Sir," said one of the boatswain's mates, "the ship's company say that
they will not submit to be flogged."
"I do not speak to the ship's company generally, Collins," replied I,
"but you are now ordered to rig the gratings, and come on deck. It is
an order that you cannot refuse. Go up directly, and obey it.
Quartermasters, go on deck with your seizings. When all is ready, you
can then expostulate."
The men obeyed my orders: they crawled on deck, rigged the gratings, and
stood by.
"All is ready, sir," said I, touching my hat to the captain.
"Send the ship's company aft, Mr Paul."
"Aft, then, all of you, for punishment," cried the boatswain.
"Yes, it is _all of us for punishment_," cried one voice. "We've all to
flog one another, and then pay off the _jollies_." [Note: Jollies is a
slang word for Marines.]
This time the men obeyed the order; they all appeared on the
quarterdeck.
"The men are all aft, sir," reported the boatswain.
"And now, my lads," said the captain, "I'll teach you what mutiny is.
You see these two frigates alongside of us. You had forgotten them, I
suppose, but I hadn't. Here, you scoundrel, Mr Jones"--(this was the
Joe Miller)--"strip, sir. If ever there were mischief in a ship, you
are at the head."
"Head, sir," said the man, assuming a vacant look; "what head, sir. Do
you mean the snake's head? I don't know anything about it, sir."
"Strip, sir!" cried the captain, in a rage; "I'll soon bring you to your
senses."
"If you please, your honour, what have I done to be tied up?" said the
man.
"Strip, you scoundrel!"
"Well, sir, if you please, it's hard to be flogged for nothing."
The man pulled off his clothes, and walked up to the grating. The
quarter-masters seized him up.
"Seized up, sir," reported the scoundrel of a sergeant of marines, who
acted as the captain's spy.
The captain looked for the articles of war to read, as is necessary
previous to punishing a man, and was a little puzzled to find one, where
no positive offence had been committed. At last he pitched upon the one
which refers to combination and conspiracy, and creating discontent. We
all took off our hats as he read it, and he then called Mr Paul, the
boatswain, and ordered him to give the man a dozen.
"Please, sir," said the boatswain, pointing to his arm in a sling, "I
can't flog--I can't lift up my arm."
"Your arm was well enough when I came on board, sir," cried the captain.
"Yes, sir; but in hurrying the men up, I slipped down the ladder, and
I'm afraid I've put my shoulder out."
The captain bit his lips; he fully believed it was a sham on the part of
the boatswain (which indeed it was), to get off flogging the men.
"Well, then, where is the chief boatswain's mate, Collins?"
"Here, sir," said Collins, coming forward: a stout, muscular man, nearly
six feet high, with a pig-tail nearly four feet long, and his open
breast covered with black shaggy hair.
"Give that man a dozen, sir," said the captain.
The man looked at the captain, then at the ship's company, and then at
the man seized up, but did not commence the punishment.
"Do you hear me, sir," roared the captain.
"If you please, your honour, I'd rather take my disrating--I--don't wish
to be chief boatswain's mate in this here business."
"Obey your orders, immediately, sir," cried the captain; "or, by God,
I'll try you for mutiny."
"Well, sir, I beg your pardon; but what must be, must be. I mean no
disrespect, Captain Hawkins, but I cannot flog that man--my conscience
won't let me."
"Your _conscience_, sir?"
"Beg your pardon, Captain Hawkins, I've always done my duty, foul
weather or fair; and I've been eighteen years in His Majesty's service,
without ever being brought to punishment; but if I am to be hung now,
saving your pleasure, and with all respect, I can't help it."
"I give you but one moment more, sir," cried the captain: "do your
duty."
The man looked at the captain, and then eyed the yard-arm. "Captain
Hawkins, I will _do my duty_, although I must swing for it." So saying,
he threw his cat down on the quarter-deck, and fell back among the
ship's company.
The captain was now confounded, and hardly knew how to act: to
persevere, appeared useless--to fall back, was almost as impossible. A
dead silence of a minute ensued. Everyone was breathless, with
impatience, to know what would be done next. The silence was, however,
first broken by Jones, the Joe Miller, who was seized up.
"Beg your honour's pardon, sir," said he, turning his head round: "but
if I am to be flogged, will you be pleased to let me have it over? I
shall catch my death a-cold, naked here all day."
This was decided mockery on the part of the man, and roused the captain.
"Sergeant of marines, put Jones, and that man Collins, both legs in
irons, for mutiny. My men, I perceive that there is a conspiracy in the
ship, but I shall very soon put an end to it: I know the men, and, by
God, they shall repent it. Mr Paul, pipe down. Mr Simple, man my
gig; and recollect, it's my positive orders that no boat goes on shore."
The captain left the brig, looking daggers at me as he went over the
side; but I had done my duty, and cared little for that; indeed, I was
now watching his conduct, as carefully as he did mine.
"The captain wishes to tell his own story first," said Thompson, coming
up to me. "Now, if I were you, Simple, I would take care that the real
facts should be known."
"How's that to be done," replied I; "he has ordered no communication
with the shore."
"Simply by sending an officer on board of each of the frigates to state
that the brig is in a state of mutiny, and request that they will keep a
look-out upon her. This is no more than your duty as commanding
officer; you only send the message, leave me to state the facts of my
own accord. Recollect that the captains of these frigates will be
summoned, if there is a court of inquiry, which I expect will take
place."
I considered a little, and thought the advice good. I despatched
Thompson first to one frigate, and then to the other. The next day the
captain came on board. As soon as he stepped on the quarter-deck, he
inquired how I dared disobey his orders in sending the boats away. My
reply was that his orders were not to communicate with the shore, but
that, as commanding officer, I considered it my duty to make known to
the other ships that the men were in a state of insubordination, that
they might keep their eyes upon us. He kept his eyes upon me for some
time, and then turned away, without reply. As we expected, a court of
inquiry was called, upon his representations to the admiral. About
twenty of the men were examined, but so much came out as to the _reason
why_ the head of the snake had been removed--for the sailors spoke
boldly--that the admiral and officers who were appointed strongly
recommended Captain Hawkins not to proceed further than to state that
there were some disaffected characters in the ship, and move the admiral
to have them exchanged into others. This was done, and the captains of
the frigates, who immediately gave their advice, divided all our best
men between them. They spoke very freely to me, and asked me who were
the best men, which I told them honestly, for I was glad to be able to
get them out of the power of Captain Hawkins: these they marked as
disaffected, and exchanged them for all the worst they had on board.
The few that were left ran away; and thus, from having one of the finest
and best organised ship's companies in the service, we were now one of
the very worst. Jones was sent on board of the frigate, and under
surveillance: he soon proved that his character was as good as I stated
it to be, and two years afterwards was promoted to the rank of
boatswain. I must here remark, that there is hardly any degree of
severity, which a captain may not exert towards his seamen provided they
are confident of, or he has proved to them his courage: but if there be
a doubt, or a confirmation to the contrary, all discipline is destroyed
by contempt, and the ship's company mutiny, either directly or
indirectly. There is an old saying, that all tyrants are cowards, that
tyranny is in itself a species of meanness, I acknowledge; but still the
saying ought to be modified. If it is asserted that all mean tyrants
are cowards, I agree: but I have known in the service most special
tyrants, who were not cowards: their tyranny was excessive, but there
was no meanness in there dispositions. On the contrary, they were
generous, open-hearted, and, occasionally, when not influenced by anger,
proved, that their hearts, if not quite right, were not very much out of
their places. Yet they were tyrants; but although tyrants, the men
forgave them, and one kind act, when they were not led away by the
impetuosity of their feelings, obliterated a hundred acts of tyranny.
But such is not the case in our service with men who, in their tyranny,
are mean; the seamen show no quarter to them, and will undergo all the
risk which the severity of the articles of war render them liable to,
rather than not express their opinion of a man whom they despise. I do
not like to mention names, but I could point out specimens of brave
tyrants and of cowardly tyrants, who have existed, and do even now
exist, in our service. The present regulations have limited tyranny to
a certain degree, but it cannot check the _mean_ tyrant; for it is not
in points of consequence likely to be brought before the notice of his
superiors, that he effects his purpose. He resorts to paltry measures--
he smiles that he may betray--he confines himself within the limit that
may protect him; and he is never exposed, unless by his courage being
called in question, which but rarely occurs; and when it does occur, it
is most difficult, as well as most dangerous, to attempt to prove it.
It may be asked why I did not quit the ship, after having been aware of
the character of the captain, and the enmity which he bore to me. In
reply, I can only say that I did often think of it, talked over the
subject with my messmates, but they persuaded me to remain, and, as I
was a first lieutenant, and knew that any successful action would, in
all probability, insure my promotion, I determined to use a nautical
expression, to rough it out, and not throw away the only chance which I
now had of obtaining my rank as commander.