Salt Water: The Sea Life and Adventures of Neil D'Arcy the MidshipmanKingston, William Henry Giles
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Salt Water: The Sea Life and Adventures of Neil D'Arcy the Midshipman
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Midshipmen -- Juvenile fiction; Seafaring life -- Juvenile fiction
"Let him be removed," said the judge of the court; and he was borne
away, still crying out for mercy.
The miserable man, who had never shown mercy to others, still besought
it for himself. The other prisoners said not a word in their defence.
One only voice was heard when all others were hushed in the court. It
was solemn, though hollow and weak.
"Our doom is most just. We suffer rightly; and may God have mercy on
our souls," were the words spoken.
I recognised the voice of Charles Adams. I saw him the night before his
execution. He was calm and happy.
"O that my fate," said he, "might be a warning to others! and I should
feel still more contented to die."
He begged to keep my Bible to the last, promising to give it to the
chaplain to be delivered to me. I will not dwell on the dreadful
particulars of the execution. No Maltese could be found willing to
perform the office of executioner. The chief of the police, therefore,
ordered a swinging stage to be formed on either side of the vessel, on
which the criminals were placed with ropes round their necks, secured to
the fore-yard-arms, three on each side. These stages were secured in
their horizontal position by ropes rove through blocks made fast to the
fore-rigging, with lanyards at the end. As the chaplain reached a
certain word in the Service, the seamen stationed at the lanyards were
ordered to cut them. This was done, and the stages sinking from under
their feet, the miserable men were launched into eternity. A barge was
then brought alongside, into which the bodies were lowered, and carried
to Fort Ricasoli, at the entrance of the great harbour. Four of the
bodies, being sewn up in tarred canvas, were hung in chains to a lofty
gibbet; while two were buried beneath it. For many long months
afterwards the four pirates hung there,--a terrible and disgusting
sight, and an awful warning to all who might be inclined to pursue the
same evil course.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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