, 1843-01-21
Naval Court of Inquiry.

The following is the substance o
Com. M'kENzIE's official report be
fore the Court Of Inquiry, to examine
into the affair of the Somers. given il
on the third day of the trial:
On the 18th of November. sailed
for the United States via. St. Thomas
where | thought it necessary to take
in n supply of bread, water and other
refreshments. On Saturday, the 25th
ofNovember, Lieut.. Gansevoort came
into the cabin and informed me that
he had learned from Midshipman
Wales that a conspiracy existed on
board the ship 10 capture the vessel,
to murder the Captain, bring oyer as
many of the crew as possible, muir
der the rest and convert the vessel in
TO a pirate; and that Miishipman
Spencer was at the head of the con-
spiracy. This, Lieut.. G. said, had
been told TO him by Midshipman
Wales, whose narration was as fol.
lows:
On the night Of the 25th of Novem-
Der, between 6 and 8 O'Clock in the
evening, Wales said lie was around
by Spencer, who asked him TO 90 up
on the booms, as he had something
to say to him. He got up, and on
arriving at the booms, he was asked
by Spencer. "Do you fear death? do
you fear a dead man? do you fear TO
kill a MANI" Wales, with an admi-
rable GOODNESS, induced Spencer TO
20 on, took the oath of secrecy, and
entered into all his plans. Spencer
told him hat he had about twenty
men in his plot; that they would east
" get possession of the ship, murder
the commander and officers and COM
mence piracy. He gave Wales all
the details of his plan, which were adj
mirably suited for his purpose; ar
ranged much better, Mr.. Wales said,
than he could have done it himself
As an inducement TO embark in the
enterprise, Spencer said that 4 large
box Of wine on board contained Il
large amount of gold and other trea-
sure. His object was to go 10 the
Isle of Pines, where one of his asso-
%ciates, who had been a pirate before.
had a confederate; that he would at
tack no vessels hat he could not cap
ture, and destroy all he captured; that
he would select from them such fe-
males as were proper, use them, and
then dispose of them; that he had all
the details of the plan drawn out on
a paper, which was in the back Of
his cravat. Before separating. threat.
ened him with instant death if he ev-
err revealed what he had told him.
Such, proceeded Capt. Mackenzie,
was the purport Of the information
which | received from Lieut.. Ganse-
WORT. To me the whole affair SEEM
ed SO monstrous that Spencer had
been amusing himself in Wales with
some story of piracy he had learned
from some novel or tale of murder.
Still | could not help feeling that it
was sporting with a serious subject,
and that my duty required me 10 be
upon my guard, and | resolved close
" to watch the movements of Spen-
Ger. directed the first Lieutenant
to observe him very narrowly. II
learned that in the course of the day
Spencer. had been in the wardroom
Tor some time, and had busted himself
in examining a chart of the West In
and that he had made some in
concerning the Isle of Pines.
The Lieutenantltold him that he be-
that it was a place much fire.
.luented by Pirates, and drily asked
him ifhe had any acquaintance there?
Spencer passed the day s~ullenly, and
was often observed to be examining
l paper, and writing with a pencil,
md making rings with bis penknife.
Lieut.. Gansevoort soon after made
some excuse for following him to the
oretop, when he found him engaged
n working some devices upon his
lrm. He expressed a desire to learn
he rate of the Chronometer, and was
'eferred to the Master. He was fire.
seen engaged in holding Sc {
rot copEorapca with Roafswaip /.
Cromwell and Small, and was known
o have given money to different per- {
ons of the crew. He had also Incl I
ed the steward to steal brandy, which t
lie had given to the crew and with I