rtion of mids,
and the lieutenant of marines, besides sailors and marines, making in the
whole a hundred. He left the master and the remainder of the crew in
charge of the ship, and ordered him when the boats shoved off to stand out
by way of feint. The night was very dark. After a short pull they were
alongside of the _Hermione_, which was evidently taken by surprise. On
seeing the crew of the _Surprise_ board them, they seized their
boarding-pikes and cutlasses, and made a resistance which would have done
them credit in a better cause. The conflict was severe and fatal to many
of them; several jumped overboard. The struggle had continued about half
an hour when her cables were cut and her topsails loosed. The remainder of
the mutineers finding their numbers considerably decreased threw down
their arms and surrendered, and at daylight the ship was in company with
the _Surprise_.(4) Captain Hamilton received a severe contusion on the
head, and had it not been for his surgeon, who was a powerful son of the
Emerald Isle, he must have been killed. The loss on board the _Hermione_
was considerable, that of the _Surprise_ comparatively speaking trifling.
Soon after they anchored I was sent on board the latter to learn the
particulars which I have given above. The mutineers taken in the
_Hermione_ were but few, as the greater part were either on shore or had
jumped overboard from her when they saw they should be overpowered. Before
we sailed they were tried, and, with the exception of two who turned
King's evidence, were hanged in everlasting jackets on the small islands
without Port Royal harbour. I also learnt that my former messmate was
lieutenant of the watch when the mutiny broke out, and one of the King's
evidence mutineers gave me the following account:--

[Illustration: PORT ROYAL, JAMAICA. [_P. N. Edwards, Photo._]

"The captain," said he, "was very severe with the men, who were all good
seamen, and they were determined to either run the ship on shore and
desert, or else take her by force. This had been in their minds for months
before it happened. At last," said he, "on a dark night, when the young
lieutenant had the watch, our minds were made up. A party went to the
cabin-door, knocked down the sentry, and entered it. The captain was in
his cot, and he was soon overpowered. We threw him out of the
cabin-window. Another party threw the officer of the watch over the
larboard quarter, but he, being young and active,