e ship's company must have seen,
in our countenances, that we shared their feelings. The men were talking
with each other in groups, until they all appeared to have communicated
their ideas on the subject. The carpenters, who had been slowly bringing
aft the gratings, left off the job; the boatswain's mates, who had came
aft, rolled the tails of their cats round the red handles; and every man
walked down below. No one was left on the quarter-deck but the marines
under arms, and the officers. Perceiving this, I desired Mr Paul, the
boatswain, to send the men up to rig the gratings, and the
quarter-masters with their seizings. He came up, and said that he had
called them, but that they did not answer. Perceiving that the ship's
company would break out into open mutiny, if the captain persisted in
his intention, I went down into the cabin, and told the captain the
state of things, and wished for his orders or presence on deck.

The captain, whose wrath appeared incapable of reflection, immediately
proceeded on deck, and ordered the marines to load with ball-cartridge.
This was done; but, as I was afterwards told by Thompson, who was
standing aft, the marines loaded with powder, and put the balls into
their pockets. They wished to keep up the character of their corps for
fidelity, and at the same time not fire upon men whom they loved as
brothers, and with whom they coincided in opinion. Indeed, we afterwards
discovered that it was a _marine_ who had taken off the _head_ of the
snake a second time.

The captain then ordered the boatswain to turn the hands up. The
boatswain made his appearance with his right arm in a sling.--"What's
the matter with your arm, Mr Paul?" said I, as he passed me.

"Tumbled down the hatchway just now--can't move my arm; I must go to the
surgeon as soon as this is over."

The hands were piped up again, but no one obeyed the order. Thus was the
brig in a state of mutiny. "Mr Simple, go forward to the main hatchway
with the marines, and fire on the lower deck," cried the captain.

"Sir," said I, "there are two frigates within a cable's length of us;
and would it not be better to send for assistance, without shedding
blood? Besides, sir, you have not yet tried the effect of calling up the
carpenter's and boatswain's mates by name. Will you allow me to go down
first, and bring them to a sense of their duty?"

"Yes, I presume you know your power; but of this hereafter."

I went down below and ca