And
so irritated and impatient had the crew become, that even this
proposition, which was open mutiny, punishable with state prison,
was entertained, and the carpenter went to his berth, leaving it
tacitly understood that something serious would be done, if things
remained as they were many hours longer. When the carpenter left, we
talked it all over, and I gave my advice strongly against it.
Another of the men, too, who had known something of the kind attempted
in another ship by a crew who were dissatisfied with their captain,
and which was followed with serious consequences, was opposed to it.
S---, who soon came down, joined us, and we determined to have nothing
to do with it. By these means, they were soon induced to give it up,
for the present, though they said they would not lie where they were
much longer without knowing the reason.
The affair remained in this state until four o'clock, when an
order came forward for all hands to come aft upon the quarter-deck. In
about ten minutes they came forward again, and the whole affair had
been blown. The carpenter, very prematurely, and without any authority
from the crew, had sounded the mate as to whether he would take
command of the ship, and intimated an intention to displace the
captain; and the mate, as in duty bound, had told the whole to the
captain, who immediately sent for all hands aft.
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