The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-11 00:00:00

GROUP X.

RAIL WAY COMMITTEES.
(YESTERDAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
CORNIATALX. 2./!.."1.1.117A1t.
through,
which he represented to be favourable to the line.
Captain lliloorsom, the engineer of the line, entered into a
ita
tnent of the engineering peculiarities of the line, gradients,
ftunnels, cuttings, and embankments, which he represented to be
avourable. He put in the plans and sections, and explained them
detail, the particulars of which have already been given in the
report of the Commons' Committee.
th:lt. Miller, civil engineer, was examined generally respecting
was adduced
line, which he represented to be well laid out. His evidence
evidence. principally in corroboration of Captain Moorsom's
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at eleven o'clock.

/XX oxporau, WCIZCEST3III, .AND W°L-
MIZI-LFLIVIPTON 13,A5:1:417211r.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday. )
Afeon-examined by Mr. HOPE—He had not been examined
ore the House of Commons. A line through Birmingham to
—on was very desirable, yet he considered there ought to be
an
entrance into London than by the London and Birming.
Maui i•
the
Ine, as then the public would be much better provided for by e
ompetition. He considered, as far as London was concerned,
w° lines-kite through Birmingham, and another by Oxford—
would be about equal in advantage to Kidderminster. He sent
*out annually in goods from 400 to 500 tons, and received in return
Irom 700 to 800 tons, exclusive of coals. The goods he sent out were
atll"s 60.0004 in value. He used a boat of coals weekly, or 1,000
"tt a Year, vs
understood that the low land on which the
p
.Lendon and Birmingham station was to be placed was to be em.
linked
upon- that would cause flooding. If the railway was carried
Mo
arches a good deal of his objection on that score would be re-
tWhaeter mnlcculnaulati
though then he apprehended there would still be danger of
ng. He attended a meeting in Kidderminster, on
01 April last. He proposed the first resolution. An
I -„,n'mea was proposed in favour of the other line, but
beset hi,e^nva4 negatived, and the resolutions of the Great Western
were carried. Mr. Aldis at the meeting, he (Mr. Leigh)
represented the advantages of the London and Birming.
In
ii:eabr.rcionnging the Banbury wool market in connexion with
rgeiddieledirmnle::cn
Hneextidnbot himself think there was much advan.
Mr, Paul Matthews said he was manager of fire-clay-works near
Stourbrid
Be. They produced about 7,000 tons of manufactured
:"vies Yearly, principally fire-bricks and crucibles. They sent a
ieehisiedderable quantity of these to the south. The Great Western
-o d
ft_rl'ae, as far as the town and suburbs were concerned, would
the greatest amount of accommodation.
e "pas-examination of this witness did not elicit any point of
eterial importance.
Thelaire.ol-1, ill, town clerk of the city of Worcester, deposed as to
Ile
of the people of that place in respect to the proposed
bort; ne recollected being present at a public meeting of the
by ugh in the City-hall last year, when resolutions were carried
The a large
majority in favour of the Great Western scheme.
the achetnes were fully explained on both sides before
favour to was taken. The vote was almost unanimous in
The r the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton.
pose of the London and Birmingham then pro.
ahandowr:d froth Weedon to Worcester. That was afterwards
The Tow„ 1, and a new one brought forward. A meeting of
the
,c;•: Council took place on the 3d of September, at which
by a ;"°°B were again submitted, and the Council decided
and I,ma,;',°l-itY of twenty to three in favour of the London, Oxford,
wee ,:""erhampton. A meeting of the Chamber of Commerce
I,Te.? "eld the same day, and a similar resolution passed. In
which another public meeting of the inhabitants was held, at
Longo the ring line was submitted, with the other parts of the
Wee,°4 and Birmingham scheme, along with that of the Great
'when
a great majority, in fact nearly all, voted for reso-
kr: In favour of the latter scheme.
depos2altuel Price Edwards, collector of customs at Southampton,
thee to the great increase in the trade of Southampton, and
enahtlitlhe present line from Staffordshire and Worcester would
north to be supplied with the produce of Manchester, the
and the midland counties.
een7 Thom, Lister Foster, of Evesham, gave evidence as to the
The en
feele.noe the line would afford to that town and neighbourhood.
Air, Miller
of the people was generally in favour of it.
erigie,„.. :Idler, civil engineer, was examined as to the comparative
Worki.",rguif Peculiarities of the competing lines. The expense of
ache "t the inferior gradients on the London and Birmingham
que„ite would, in his opinion, counterbalance the expense conse-
rauco uction
iht on the break of gauge by the transhipment to the other line.
w
Hatt eitness was cross-examined at some length respecting the
of the Scotch railways, but it did not seem to bear
n the subject.matter of the examination in chief.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at eleven o'clock.

•COTTISEC MIDLAND RAILWAY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Tl:e examination of the witness was continued at considerable
length, but the entire of his evidence has already appeared in the
to „Furls which were published in the proceedings of the Committee
the
.Aollte of Commons.
Lokosrd If
Wharncliffe was then examined by Mr. Fonairrn—His
hiP stated generally the traffic which might be expected
~'5 "ft the proposed line furnished sufficient grounds for the Bill to
no brought before the House. If the Scottish Midland Railway were
not " he -e was of opinion that the east coast line would
%._afford sufficient accommodation to the pubic. In the valley of
tbrnore a considerable quantity of cattle were fattened, which
La
Wereo principally sent to London and to the southwestern parts of
v3cauteland for sale. Grain and potatoes were also produced in the
Y. The weavers chiefly cultivated the soil. The proposed
line would give an impulse to the manufactures of the district,
and be believed that the inhabitants and proprietors of land there
were decidedly
in favour of it.
The
Marquis of Breadalbane was the next witnesse called, and
be corroborated, in every particular, the evidence which had been
given by Lord Wharncliffe.
Mr, Buchanan, merchant, residing at Stanley, spoke generally as
to the traffic from that place, and stated that the coals which were
obtained from Newcastle could be procured at a much cheaper rate
than at present if the railway were constructed.
Mr. Jamieson, the provost of Montrose, gave similar evidence as
regard. Montrose.
Mr. Adams, of Blairgowrie, spoke as to the facilities which the
railway would aftbrd for the conveyance of the yarn and manufac.
tared goods to and from Blairgowrle, Glasgow, and Dundee.
The Committee then adjourned till eleven o'clock to-morrow.

WEST LONDON RAILWAY AND
EXTENSION.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. Seymour Clarke, the superintendent of the goods traffic on
the Great Western Railway, gave similar testimony as regarded
that line.

This closed the case for the promoters.
Mr. M. CHAMBERS then addressed the Committee on behalf
'3l. Lord Kensington, two.thirds of whose property would be
destroyed by the, proposed railway. He contended that the
sensington Canal was amply sufficient and expeditious for the
traffic to the river ; but, even if it were not sufficiently expeditious,
the canal might be easily converted into a railway, without in.
Aiding injury on the property or rights of private individuals.
Evidence having been adduced to substantiate the statement of
the Learned Counsel,
Mr. TataoT replied, and the room was afterwards cleared.
The Committee having deliberated for a few minutes, strangers
were re-admitted, when
esTo:ie CHAIRMAN announced that the Committee had come to the
ution to postpone their decision till Monday, and in the mean-
e they recommended parties to come to terms.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
GROUP A.
TENTEEDEN AND EYE LINE.
(Coutinued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
tat Mr. Southerton, owner of fishing-smacks at Rye, spoke to the
;ar'tages to the Rye Harbour fishery which would ensue from
b` Making of the proposed line. It was very difficult to get a
ra.9tet for All the fish caught. He himself had sometimes been
iged to sell AS many as seven waggonloads of fish for manure.
rn waggon-load was equal to 125 bushels. All that he had sold for
r i'in,nre might be sent to London and sold as food, if there were a
baacZaY communication, He was frequently obliged to throw fish
1..
se inetroethae sea, hezving no market for it. The fishery would
I,,,niVert a much
..sere greater number of men than it does at present, if
a .
dents
of line from Rye to London. The Ashford and Hest'
logs would give no accommodation to the fishery.
in Mr. Wilsted stated that his father and himself had been super-
Harbour for forty years up to the present time,
the gave evidence as to the improverneot which would be made in
bbe;euxecibet ahtreobr ot 1
fer
the e
ocherb by i thhei
ss
~ and the injury which would be done
e-,i_r'
to a farmer and surveyor of roads al Bennington,
improvement of the roads of that place which would
ProrZusd bY the cheapening of material, resulting from the
lie, if the Bill were passed. The roads were ma uf
sea beach "
"b ac,, - , that is, shingle obtained from the sea- shore. . This
thee,::" WM obtained at Rye Harbour, and would be carried on
the ;:.:Yesed line. It might then be conveyed much cheaper by
rare:Trohed than it could by the present mode of conveyance.
ta.ti
Moon° nraPsen stated that he had been employed by Cap 1
such re to take notes of the traffic which might be expected on
stationajine as the proposed Tentenden and Rye. He had
Itoiml`" (car men at the following places—one at Playden, one at
11ird..2t90, one at Bird's Isle, and one at Tentenden.
lie
hatiliee
was about a mile north of Tenterden.
doing ah rePeetedly visited them to see what they were
spoke'a; d to _
eePy the notes which they had taken. The witness
noting
d llntne length to the precautions against error,. and
been
take, b. °"/,_l! traffic such as would not be available, which had
crow;:e nun, and by the persons he employed.
Were xarein
_, ed by Mr. D. HILL—The four persons he employed
t.; hedbaneee Sr..-sa,
1-• “iest Goble, Fin, and Snow. Goble, who was sta-
;ln-. at nolvington, had been master of the union workhouse;
rtdghtwho was stationed at Tenterden, was a tailor. He
likely to nine of his own trade to a man, but would not be
to enlint nine men for one tailor.—(A laugh.) Snow,
smualigardener's labourer, and had been stationed at Bird's Isle, and
Static, was stationed at Playden. There was another man at a fifth
4 bthrsottr,dbut as the traffic at that place might be conveyed by the
taie
and Hastings branch line, it had been struck out of the
kr." the Passing of that Bill
l'abta 4viarYs a eoaLmerchant at Tenterden, spoke to the asedd-
line. ge to the coal trade which would be produced by the proposed
tine.
beCoalconwsuomuledd be rendered much cheaper by the cheaper
wo
aid ge and the result would be that a much greater quantity
Mr. Batch
would
stated that from 3,400 to 3,500 tons of lime were
importedgreerl annually ao Tenterden for manure. This line
it
rauchYtfactate the carriage of lime, and would therefore make
the
load
cheaner.
l' The present expense of carriage of lime from
load going to Tenterden was 15s. per waggon load, a waggon
nig elnal
Mr ii to two tens.
throo' ernes, a land surveyor, said that the value of the land
R... 114 Which this line passed was 18,2881. I ls. He knew --,4Etori,Mr.
On
.. 8 field called " Staving Den," and which was the worst land
tveUldne "tie'
;hal
.ilniet: bhtle:llte ftizh He thought the part of this land which
by the railway would be snore valuable than the
as at present. lie thought Major Curtiss's land
improved by the railway.
i:..: • Curtiss (a relative of Major Curtiss, a petitioner against the
;:avah'iwas then called, and gave evidence of the advantages de-
from e front this line. He thought Major Curtiss was mistaken
n °l3Posing this line, which would greatly increase the value of his
Property
tdll!_trte.ele.frenvaers then said that his evidence was now concluded,
be:sig no evidence to be produced on the other side, the
thr ii ed Counsol proceeded to address the Committee in favour of
the Pr°Posed line, and dwelt at great length on the evidence as to
vh,!,_tatlie Which had been given by the various witnesses, and
ca::,ell:iisbteehenepoultibutlishh,cdcifaTthleensguth.,. from time to time as it oc-
ate l:
tr, , D. Him. addressed the Committee on the part of the
Railway Company, and in reply to Mr. Hildyard, he
Pointed out shortly what he considered the advantages of the
Ashfordi.,
and Hastings branch, and the disadvantages of the
enterden and Rye line. The object of the Learned Counsel's
Pe terde
e_ ch Was principally to show that the greater length of the
sin and
In Rye line was not sufficient to account for the excess
the estimates of the expenbe of that line over those of the Ash-
e6ford
and Hastings branch line. The expense of the former was
wthuated at 500,000/. That of the latter would be 140,0001. There
~s_aa Only a difference of 11 miles between them, the difference of ex-
'''„_le being 360,000/.
tesavra.rtcoLf aatsox then addressed the Committee at some length on
414 O'Ciel
Major Curtiss, after which the Committe djourned at

IMPORTANT DECISION.
YORK LINES.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. ATKINSON valued the land from the River Trent to the
Don, a distance of 18 miles, 1 furlong, and 1 chain, and he found
the whole of the work to be 28,3421.
Mr. John Oliver took it from the River Don, to and including
Brayton, and his estimate was 24,245/. Distance, 11 miles, 7 fur-
long., 8 chains.
Mr. George Alderson valued it from Brayton to York, and his
total was 24,1361. for 12 miles, 4 furlongs, 3 chains. The aggregate
amount was 94,672/. Total distance, 55 miles, 4 furlongs, and 2
chains,

Mr. Padley produced a model showing the level of the River
Witham, and the fall of the Delft drain into it, the object being to
show how the line would pass over the country when the water
was out, the criterion being the good which occurred in 1828.
Mr. Sergeant WRANGHILM objected to the model on the ground
that part of it was constructed on the horizontal principle and
other parts on the vertical principle.
On Mr. WEBSTER'S re.examination, Mr. Padley stated that this
was conceived to be the best plan to construct a model, as it showed
both the surface and the slope of the banks of the river and the
drabs.

Mr. Mance!l was recalled to speak to the traffic-tables, and
stated that he had taken one quarter of the traffic between Lincoln
and Torquay as due to the railway between Lincoln and Gains-
borough. He had taken one-third of the traffic between Gains-
borough and Thorne, and one.third between Thorne and Snaith.
The Goo e; raffle by canal he had omitted altogether. He had
taken one-sixth of the Crowle traffic for the railway. In the
Selby district he had divided the traffic, and the total
amount was 67,204/. He had tested these calculations by those
of the London and York line, and taking all the calculations to-
gether he found the whole of the expense of the line from Lincoln
to York to be 978,312/., and the net returns would be 67,204/.,
including coal with the other goods.
The cross-examination of Mr. Sergeant Wranghatn occupied a
considerable time, and he succeeded in very much shaking the
evidence of Mr. Mancell.
Mr. Webster's re-examination, however, tended to restore the
confidence which should be placed on this evidence, although no
new facts were elicited.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow.

MURDER OF MR. PALMER AND
EIGHT SEAMEN OF HER MAJESTY'S SLOOP
WASP.

CONTINUATION OF THE INQUIRY.
PLYMOUTH GUILDHALL, JULY 8.
Lieut. Robert Douglas Stupart was sworn, and said—l am a
lieutenant its the Royal Navy, and in February last I belonged to
her Majesty's sloop Wasp, and was on duty in her off Lagos, in the
Bight of Benin, on the coast of Africa. On the 26th of that month,
at eight o'clock P.M , boarded, in the pinnace, the Felicidade, a Bra-
zilian two.masted schooner. She had a crew of about 28 men,
and was completely fitted for the slave trade. I therefore detained
her as a slave vessel, until the Wasp, which was also in chase of
her, came up, which she did about ten o'clock the same evening.
On the following morning gave up charge of her to the master, and
went on hoard the Wasp. In the afternoon of the 27th, between
four and five o'clock, I went on board the Felicidade to relieve Mr.
Roberts. Captain Usher made a communication to me, and I
steered a particular course. At about eight o'clock the same
evening the look.out man reported a sail to the leeward.
At daylight of the 28th I saw a brigantine to the windward,
and after a chase of the whole day I came up to her at
about ten o'clock at night. I hoisted the colours in the jolly-
boat, and fired a pistol, as a signal for her to heave to. She did
heave to. I went close to her in the jolly-boat ; some person from
the brigantine hailed us in the Portuguese language, asking who we
were, I told them we were English, whereon they made sail, and I
could not catch them. By the time I got back to the schooner
the brigantine was out of sight. The next morning I saw the
same vessel lying about five miles to the leeward of us. We gave
chase, and came up with her about eight o'clock the same evening.
I passed close to her, and told them to haul their sails down, which
they did. I sent Mr. Thomas Palmer and eight men on board
the brigantine. When he got on board lie hailed me, and made
a communication. I kept her in sight all night, and on that night,
or the following morning, eight of the prisoners now present, and
some others, came from the Echo, the brigantine, on board the
Felicidade, excepting one prisoner, the Spaniard. About nine
o'clock on the2d of March I called Mr. Palmer on board the Fell-
cidadc, and I went on board the Echo. I found her full of slaves,
there being about 434 in number. There were about 200 on deck.
I went below for about an hour to attend to the slaves, who
had been confined for about 48 hours. When I left the
Felicidade there were sixteen prisoners, fourteen belonging to the
Echo, and two belonging to the Felicidade, and eight of our men,
and Mr. Palmer, James Mullins, Edward Marshall, James'Mitchell,
James Baynom, Thomas Barfoot, Thomas Gold, Jack Andrews,
and Joe Wilson, the two latter were Kroomen, and Thomas Gold,
a marine, all belonging to the Wasp. I know prisoner Francesco
Servia, and the prisoner Jonas Majoural. The Spaniard, left on
board the Felicidade, did not afterwards return to the Echo.
When I had been about an hour on board the Echo I got on the
deck. I saw the Felicidade, with the Brazilian colours flying,
coining up on our weather quarter. Some one on board hailed us
to heave to. I saw the person calling himself J. A. Cequario on
board the Felicidade. We did not heave to. She passed close
alongside our weather beam, and fired round and grape. She parsed
on, and again fired, and then escaped. I followed her until dark,
and then lost sight of her, and never saw her again. On the fol-
lowing afternoon I fell in with the Wasp, and communicated with
the Commander, and in about
.five or six days took charge of the
Echo, and went in her to Sierra Leone, and gave her in charge
to the Mixed Commission Court, where she was condemned as law.
ful capture. -
The evidence was interpreted to the prisoners, and to its general
purport they gave their assent.
Thomas Lethbridge deposed that he was a corporal in the Wool.
wich division of the Royal Marines, and that he was serving on
board her Majesty's sloop Star. Early on the morning of the 6th
of March, witness deposed, I saw a strange sail, which, after a
chase, the Star came up with, at about three or four o'clock. One
of the Star's boats was ordered out, under the command of Lieu-
tenant Etheridge, to the strange vessel. I went in this boat, and,
boarding the vessel, that subsequently turned out to be the Felici-
dade, her crew was found below. At the command of the officer
I went below to search them out, and in the after cabin and other
parts of the vessel, hidden away, twenty.one persons were found
and brought upon deck. The ten prisoners present were among
that number, and so also were the other three persons calling them-
selves A. Saquirerio, E. F. Royegres, and Saberino de Costa. I
was on board the vessel about six hours, and have no doubt as to
the prisoners and the other three men being thirteen of the persons
found on board. I went to the after cabin in search of papers, and
there found a volume of the " Cabinet Cyclopedia" with the
duck bof
ags, "R. D. Stupart" on the fly-leaf. I also found some
azmrk.
bags, such as is used by seamen in the Royal Navy. The
bags contained flannel and serge, such as is used in
her Majesty's service. I also found a pair of clues used in sling.
in gh oc
ks, partly made, and a fishing line with the Govern-
ment In going down the main hatchway I observed several
stains of blood upon the slave deck ; I also found a boat's anchor
and an awning stanchion, just such as might have belonged to a
were
eel
blarryree-c. bhnsonialng co.
he
yadea
d calsoon found
boarda
theiea lead aarnd line.
about
aixAl i
hoursth the
after things
boarding,
f o nd
being then abouto
removedrearolneiheen o'clockr,
opportunities
nin
fromh.
fe forenoon.steheaitn
datyh en
until
teohrnhpeeer;:o2nda prisoners
have no doubt they are the men that were takgen fropmr
Felici-
dade. On the second day after they were taken on board the
sentinel on duty called my attention to the heads of four of the
prisoners. I looked to them, and found that each of the four had
the seventh sword wound on the head. The wounds were fresh,
and were attended to by Mr. King, the surgeon. When the pri-
soners were first brought on board I did not see the wounds, as
they wore handkerchiefs tied round their heads under their hats
or caps. In consequence of these wounds the four men—viz.,
Joze Maria Martins, Juan Francisco, Manuel Jose Alves, and
Florenzo Riberrero, were placed in irons. When the wounds
were discovered, the prisoners accounted for them by signs and in
broken English by the falling of some portion of the mast of their
vessel across their heads. The prisoners were taken from the Star
to the Penelope, and sent home in the Rapid, in which vessel
they arrived in Plymouth Sound on Thursday evening.
The prisoners, at this stage of the proceedings, wished to know
when they would be permitted to state their own case? They
were told there were four other witnesses to examine, after whose
examination they would be able to make whatever statement they
thought proper.
It being now five o'clock, the Court adjourned until tomorrow
(Wednesday), at eleven o'clock.
The prisoners were removed to the borough prison, and the ap-
provers on board the San Josef.
The prisoners are all rather under-sized men. Francisco Ferira
de Santo Servia, who is said to have been the captain of the Echo,
is rather a fine-looking man. He wore a figured shirt, the groun d
of which was yellow, open at the neck, and a cloak loosely slung
over his shoulders.

WEDNESDAY.—The first witness examined this morning was
Lieut. Wilson, late of the Star, but his evidence was not important.
The captain of the Felicidade, named Cuquirebio, was next
sworn and examined through the interpreter, having first been

cautioned by the magistrate that he was not obliged to say anything
that would criminate himself. He said—l was captain of the
Felicidade, a schooner, belonging to Bahia, in the Brazils, and she
was employed in the slave trade. I left Bahia on the 6th of
January, and had a crew of 33 men. I recognise among the pri-
soners Janus Majoural as being the only person whe was of my
crew, and he was the cook. The vessel was consigned to the house
of Sala and Co., at Ouin, a place otherwise known by the
name of Lagos, I arrived at Lagos on the 6th of February,
and sent my papers ashore, which were delivered to my
correspondents. Six of my crew went in the boat, two of
whom remained on shore, and the others returned on board. I
then discovered a brig, which I knew to be a ship of war, bearing
down upon me; the brig was in chase of us three days, during
which time we lost sight of her. On the third day, we returned
to Lagos, and I sent four of my crew on shore with a letter, and in
about half an hour we put to sea again. The same day I saw the
brig's launch and two boats, but we were not within range. I
then went to sea, and was away ten days, during which time we
sprung our mainmast, which we afterwards fished. In fifteen days
more I returned to Lagos, and then I discovered to windward her
Majesty's brig Star, and to leeward her Majesty's brig Wasp. 1
then tacked and got out of their way again. In two days I returned
to Lagos, and was told that my slaves had been waiting for me on
the beach, but that they had been sent back again. In consequence
of orders, I was preparing to go to sea, when I discovered one of
the brigs under sail. I swept along under the shore until I saw two
boats and a launch coming towards us, when I loosed sail. The
boats chased us all the day, and as they approached we fired at them
with muskets and pistols; about:7 o'clock in the evening we were
boarded ; my crew wanted to fire on the boats as they came alongside,
but I ordered them not to do so, and, with the mate's assistance, I
threw the powder and the muskets overboard. I was then trans-
ferred to the Wasp, and 25 of my crew accompanied me. The follow-
ing morning the Felicidade, having on board the prisoner Majoural
and myself, proceeded to sea under the command of Lieut. Stupart.
On the second day after sailing we saw a brigantine and gave chase.
The Felicidade having neared her, the lieutenant got into a boat
and went alongside, and the brigantine shot ahead and was soon
out of sight. We continued to chase her, and the next morning
we saw her right ahead. Between eight and nine o'clock P.M. the
officer, Mr. Palmer, boarded her. When the officer heti been on
board about an hour, he sent 10 or 12 men, amongst whom were
the prisoners, excepting the Spaniard, Majoural, on board the Fell-
cidade. I had no conversation with these men until the following
morning, when the prisoner Serva, the captain of the Echo, wished
me good morning, and asked for some coffee. Serva then told me
he was not the captain, but that he was merely a passenger. The
prisoner Serva also said to me, " The Englishmen are not armed ;
I have four men I can put confidence in ; we'll kill all the English-
men, and then we'll go and take the brigantime." I replied,
" Don't you recollect there are the British cruisers around us ?
The brigs and the steamer are outside, and if we do it we may be
go and
taken in the night, and then we shall be put to death.
tell the" Servofficer
a told
me I had no sense, and I replied, " I will
if you are that way inclined and are so vicious." Serve's brother..
in-law, who was present, then said to me, " Don't say anything to
the officer, and I will say no more about it." Some exchanges
took place. and ultimately Mr. Palmer and some English sailors
were left on board the Felicidade. The officer having washed
himself sat down on the quarter-deck, trlking with the quarter-
master. I went to the head of the vessel and presently, on looking
round, I saw Serva looking down the hatchway and calling to the
prisoners to come up on deck. He, Serva, said " Now is our time
to commit the murder, for the sentry is asleep; there are three
asleep and two of them are drunk, and now is our time, for there
are but two men awake aft." On hearing this I ran over to Serva and
said " No." By this time the men were coming up the hatchway,
and, finding Serva was determined I ran to the officer and the quarter-
master, and told them by signs what was going on. The quarter-
master rose and ran towards the hatchway. He then took up a
handspike and struck the men on the heads as they came up, with
a view to prevent them reaching the deck. I then ran to the
English sailor who was at the hel and told him by signs what was
going on. He left the helm, strAT I took charge of it. This man