essel upon the first good opportunity, leaving Jones
altogether out of our councils. In the event of success, we were to
run the brig into the first port that offered, and deliver her up. The
desertion of his party had frustrated Peters' design of going into the
Pacific--an adventure which could not be accomplished without a crew,
and he depended upon either getting acquitted upon trial, on the score
of insanity (which he solemnly avowed had actuated him in lending his
aid to the mutiny), or upon obtaining a pardon, if found guilty, through
the representations of Augustus and myself. Our deliberations were
interrupted for the present by the cry of, "All hands take in sail," and
Peters and Augustus ran up on deck.

As usual, the crew were nearly all drunk; and, before sail could be
properly taken in, a violent squall laid the brig on her beam-ends. By
keeping her away, however, she righted, having shipped a good deal of
water. Scarcely was everything secure, when another squall took the
vessel, and immediately afterward another--no damage being done. There
was every appearance of a gale of wind, which, indeed, shortly came on,
with great fury, from the northward and westward. All was made as snug
as possible, and we laid-to, as usual, under a close-reefed foresail. As
night drew on, the wind increased in violence, with a remarkably heavy
sea. Peters now came into the forecastle with Augustus, and we resumed
our deliberations.

We agreed that no opportunity could be more favourable than the present
for carrying our designs into effect, as an attempt at such a moment
would never be anticipated. As the brig was snugly laid-to, there would
be no necessity of manoeuvring her until good weather, when, if we
succeeded in our attempt, we might liberate one, or perhaps two of the
men, to aid us in taking her into port. The main difficulty was the
great disproportion in our forces. There were only three of us, and in
the cabin there were nine. All the arms on board, too, were in their
possession, with the exception of a pair of small pistols which Peters
had concealed about his person, and the large seaman's knife which
he always wore in the waistband of his pantaloons. From certain
indications, too--such, for example, as there being no such thing as
an axe or a handspike lying in their customary places--we began to fear
that the mate had his suspicions, at least in regard to Peters, and that
he would let slip no opportunity of g