s they lay, and if any were not killed
at the first volley, and offered to submit, we might save them, and so
put it wholly upon God's providence to direct the shot. He said very
modestly, that he was loath to kill them, if he could help it: but that
those two were incorrigible villains, and had been the authors of all
the mutiny in the ship, and if they escaped, we should be undone still;
for they would go on board and bring the whole ship's company, and
destroy us all. "Well then," says I, "necessity legitimates my advice,
for it is the only way to save our lives." However, seeing him still
cautious of shedding blood, I told him they should go themselves, and
manage as they found convenient.

In the middle of this discourse we heard some of them awake, and soon
after we saw two of them on their feet. I asked him if either of them
were the heads of the mutiny? He said, No. "Well then," said I, "you may
let them escape; and Providence seems to have awakened them on purpose
to save themselves.--Now," says I, "if the rest escape you, it is your
fault." Animated with this, he took the musket I had given him in his
hand, and a pistol in his belt, and his two comrades with him, with each
a piece in his hand; the two men who were with him going first, made
some noise, at which one of the seamen who was awake turned about, and
seeing them coming, cried out to the rest; but it was too late then, for
the moment he cried out they fired; I mean the two men, the captain
wisely reserving his own piece. They had so well aimed their shot at the
men they knew, that one of them was killed on the spot, and the other
very much wounded; but not being dead, he started up on his feet, and
called eagerly for help to the other; but the captain stepping to him,
told him it was too late to cry for help, he should call upon God to
forgive his villany; and with that word knocked him down with the stock
of his musket, so that he never spoke more: there were three more in the
company, and one of them was also slightly wounded. By this time I was
come; and when they saw their danger, and that it was in vain to resist,
they begged for mercy. The captain told them he would spare their lives,
if they would give him any assurance of their abhorrence of the
treachery they had been guilty of, and would swear to be faithful to him
in recovering the ship, and afterwards in carrying her back to Jamaica,
from whence they came. They gave him all the protestation