'The master by this time had sent to request that he might come on deck,
which was permitted; but he was soon ordered back again to his cabin.
'[When I exerted myself in speaking loud, to try if I could rally any
with a sense of duty in them, I was saluted with--"d--n his eyes,
the----, blow his brains out"; while Christian was threatening me with
instant death, if I did not hold my tongue.]
'I continued my endeavours to turn the tide of affairs, when Christian
changed the cutlass which he had in his hand for a bayonet that was
brought to him, and holding me with a strong grip by the cord that tied
my hands, he threatened, with many oaths, to kill me immediately, if I
would not be quiet; the villains round me had their pieces cocked and
bayonets fixed. Particular persons were called on to go into the boat
and were hurried over the side; whence I concluded that with these
people I was to be set adrift. I therefore made another effort to bring
about a change, but with no other effect than to be threatened with
having my brains blown out.
The boatswain and seamen who were to go in the boat, were allowed to
collect twine, canvas, lines, sails, cordage, an eight-and-twenty gallon
cask of water; and Mr. Samuel got one hundred and fifty pounds of bread,
with a small quantity of rum and wine, also a quadrant and compass; but
he was forbidden, on pain of death, to touch either map, ephemeris, book
of astronomical observations, sextant, timekeeper, or any of my surveys
or drawings.
'The mutineers having forced those of the seamen whom they meant to get
rid of into the boat, Christian directed a dram to be served to each of
his own crew. I then unhappily saw that nothing could be done to effect
the recovery of the ship: there was no one to assist me, and every
endeavour on my part was answered with threats of death.
'The officers were next called upon deck, and forced over the side into
the boat, while I was kept apart from every one, abaft the mizen-mast;
Christian, armed with a bayonet, holding me by the bandage that secured
my hands. The guard round me had their pieces cocked, but on my daring
the ungrateful wretches to fire, they uncocked them.
'Isaac Martin, one of the guard over me, I saw had an inclination to
assist me, and as he fed me with shaddock (my lips being quite parched)
we explained our wishes to each other by our looks; but this being
observed, Martin was removed from me. He then attempted to leave the
ship, for which purpose he got into the boat; but with many threats they
obliged him to return.
'The armourer, Joseph Coleman, and two of the carpenters, M'Intosh and
Norman, were also kept, contrary to their inclination; and they begged
of me, after I was astern in the boat, to remember that they declared
they had no hand in the transaction. Michael Byrne, I am told, likewise
wanted to leave the ship.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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