The Sun.
London, England, 1830-09-23 00:00:00

No. 11,860.

CHARGE OF PIRACY A.

Yeaterday at the Thames Police•ofc
convicts who have assumed the names of

,NY.

Huntley, Charles Williams, John Anderson;
Alexander Telford, and who stand charged with
being concerned in running away with the colonial
brig Cyprus, between Hobart Town and Macquarrie
Harbour, in the month of August, 1829, and sub-
sequently with being concerned in some nefarious
acts of piracy, were brought up for re-examination,
before W. BALLANTINE, Esq., the sitting Magistrate.
We stated on the Bth instant an account of the
arrival of the prisoners ut Canton, in art open bout,
their examination before the authorities there, and
the transmission of the four men, with another, who
had escaped in consequence of the contradictory
stories they told respecting the brig Edward, which
they stated was wrecked on the coast of China, and
preserved their lives by taking to the boat now in
the possession of the Thames Police, and marked
"-William Weldon, Edward, of London." At the
former examination it was suspected by Mr. Evans,
the chief officer of the Thames Police, that the pri-
soners were four of the convicts concerned in the
mutiny and seizure of the Cyprus, in consequence of
their persons answering the description of four men
described in the Hue and Cry of the 13th of March
last. Yesterday John Popjoy, who was on board
at the time the brig was seized, and Thomas Capon,
Esq., High Constable of Hobart Town and Vern
Diemen's Land, who has recently arrived in Eng-
land, attended and confirmed the suspicion of Mr.
Evans, and proved, beyond a doubt, the identity of
the prisoners, as being concerned in the nefarious
act which, but for the heroic exertions of Popjoy,
would have ended in the death of more than fifty
persons.
The office was crowded to excess, principally with
gentlemen connected with the colony who have
come to this country. The proceedings will no
doubt prove interesting to our readers.
John Popjoy, a little man, was the first witness.
He was sworn, and deposed that he was formerly a
convict sent out from this country, but had received
a free pardon. In August, 1829, he was at Hobart
Town, and volunteered to go on board the Cyprus
brig, as coxswain, bound to Macquarrie Harbour, a
new settlement then forming. The vessel left the
island under the command of Captain Harris, the
crew consisting of seven men and the steward, 30
or 31 convicts, arid 12 soldiers as a military guard,
commanded by Lieutenant Carew, whose wife and
three children accompanied him. There were also
three other women (soldiers' wives) on board.
Witness, although a convict, was allowed to go on
deck. The ship had not proceeded more than 60
miles from Hobart Town, when they encountered a
gale of wind, and lost their anchor and chain cable.
They were compelled to put back and procure anew
anchor and cable. On the third day after their se-
cond departure they came to anchor in Research
Bay, found the anchor they had previously lost, and
watered the ship. In the afternoon Lieut. Carew
proposed a fishing party, and witness volunteered
to accompany him. Dr. Williams, the chief mate,
and a soldier also went, making five in all. They
had been fishing half an hour when several musket
shots were heard on board the brig, which they at
first thought proceeded from some vessel rounding
the point. They immediately left otT fishing. and
rowed towards the brig, and on coming alongside
saw one of the convicts in a yellow jacket walking'
the deck as sentry. Lieutenant Carew exclaimed
" Oh, my God ! the convicts have possession of
the vessel." The Lieutenant jumped Into the main
chains, and wanted to come on board, bu t the convicts
said the ship was their's, and refused his request.
One of the mutineers (Mat. Pennell) presented a
musket at him, which he snapped, but it missed fire.
Lieut. Carew then begged that his life would be
spared, and asked for his sword, his wife, and family.
The convict put the mother and children in the
boat. Witness received one in his arms, and wanted
to accompany Lieut. Grew and his family, but the
mutineers said they could not do without him, and
dragged him on deck. He found the convicts all
armed, and several soldiers were lying on deck,
dreadfully wounded and mutilated. One of them
was near the helm, with his head cut open, and one
of the prisoners at the bar (Telford) was standing
over him. The passengers, soldiers, and crew, were
then conveyed ashore in boats, on a desolate island,
without food. Witness was asked by the convict
who acted as Captain if he would consent to ac-
company them on a practical expedition, and be
made second mate; but he refused to join them, and
he was then lashed, handcuffed, and put forward
amongst the sailors, who, ut that time, had not been
sent ashore, owing to a heavy gale of wind that had
just sprung up. lie remained in this situation until
two o'clock the next morning, when he wasadmitted
on deck by a convict named Bryan, who was sen-
tinel over the main hatchway ; and, under pre-
tence ol going for a drink of water forward, he
jumped overboard, and swum about a mile through
a rough and tempestuous sea. On landing on
a barren and desert shore, he discerned a light at,
some distance, and having with difficulty waded a
broad river, and crossed a swamp, he there found
Lieutenant Carew, his wife, and three children,
part of the military guard, and several of tine ship's
company, in all about 50 persons, who had been
put on shore on this inhospitable place by the muti-
neers. The next morning, at six o'clock, just as
the day was breaking, they heard three cheers from
the brig, and had the mortification of seeing her get
under weigh, and steer off in an easterly direction,
leaving them on shore to their fate, without food, or
means of escape. Popjoy then related the manner
in which he preserved the lives of the passengers,
by obtaining muscles and other shell-fish for the sup-
port of his fellow-sufferers. He afterwards con-
structed a little canoe, with which ho set sail on the
wide ocean, surrounded by sheiks; turd after being
!named übout for live days, during which he expe-
rienced the most dreadful privations, was thrown
ashore on Partridge Island, and had given himself
up for lost, when the Zebra brig hove in sight, and
he was taken on board, and gave information of the
misery which his unfortunate companions were en-
during in their desolate abode. No time was lost
in despatching two of the ship's boats, laden with
provisions, for their use. The welcome assistance
arrived in time to save the lives of the unfortunate
sufferers, who endured the greatest misery, and
would no doubt have been starved to death, but for
the heroic exertions of Popjoy. The witness said
he received the thanks of the Colonial Authorities
for his exertions. 11is conduct was spoken of very
highly by the Hobart Town Papers, which he pros
ducal; and he received it free pardon, although he
had 22 months of his time to serve. Lieutenant
Carew's family were on the point of perishing from
starvation when assistance arrived.
Mr. BALLANTINE now asked Popjoy if lie could
identify the prisoners as four of the convicts who
seized the Cyprus brig ? Popjoy-1 know them
all well. is George Jamas
lDavis; lie w'ahseafircsotnv(liactu,lannideYb)efore the expiration
of his sentence committed a highway robbery in
Hobart Town, was tried before Justice Pttdder, and
condemned to die. His sentence was afterwards
commuted to transportation to Macquarrie Harbour.
He was on deck very active on the day the brig was
' seized. The second (Williams) is Wattie, as we
used to call him on board. His name is William
Watts, and was a convict. lie ran away from h
e
chain gang, took to the bushes, and was seized.
attempted to stab one man turd to shoot another