, decided not to pursue us, or whether--as I rather think--our
absence was not discovered until the Monday morning, when we were beyond
reach of capture, I know not, but we got out to sea without hazard,
and, taking accurate bearings, ran for the Friendly Islands, as had been
agreed upon amongst us.

"But it now seemed that the good fortune which had hitherto attended
us had deserted us, for after crawling for four days in sultry
weather, there fell a dead calm, and we lay like a log upon the sea for
forty-eight hours. For three days we remained in the midst of the ocean,
exposed to the burning rays of the sun, in a boat without water or
provisions. On the fourth day, just as we had resolved to draw lots
to determine who should die for the sustenance of the others, we were
picked up by an opium clipper returning to Canton. The captain,
an American, was most kind to us, and on our arrival at Canton, a
subscription was got up for us by the British merchants of that city,
and a free passage to England obtained for us. Russen, however, getting
in drink, made statements which brought suspicion upon us. I had imposed
upon the Consul with a fictitious story of a wreck, but had stated that
my name was Wilson, forgetting that the sextant which had been
preserved in the boat had Captain Bates's name engraved upon it. These
circumstances together caused sufficient doubts in the Consul's mind to
cause him to give directions that, on our arrival in London, we were
to be brought before the Thames Police Court. There being no evidence
against us, we should have escaped, had not a Dr. Pine, who had been
surgeon on board the Malabar transport, being in the Court, recognized
me and swore to my identity. We were remanded, and, to complete the
chain of evidence, Mr. Capon, the Hobart Town gaoler, was, strangely
enough, in London at the time, and identified us all. Our story was
then made public, and Barker and Lesly, turning Queen's evidence against
Russen, he was convicted of the murder of Lyons, and executed. We
were then placed on board the Leviathan hulk, and remained there until
shipped in the Lady Jane, which was chartered, with convicts, for Van
Diemen's Land, in order to be tried in the colony, where the offence was
committed, for piratically seizing the brig Osprey, and arrived here on
the 15th December, 1838."

* * * * *

Coming, breathless, to the conclusion of this wonderful r