American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-03-04

MUTINY OF SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS ON
BOARD AN AMERICAN WHALE SHIP
MURDER OF THE CAPTAIN.
The New Bedford Mercury contains lengthy
account of mutiny on board the American
whale ship Sharon, which resulted in the muir
der of the captain by a number of South Sea
Islanders, from which the following is con.
densed:
The Sharon having been some time cruising
for whales in the vicinity of the Caroline
Islands, put in at Ascension on the 18th Octo-
ber 1912, for wood, water, and recruits. The
requisite supplies being obtained, preparations
were made to proceed upon the voyage, when
eleven of the crew deserted, and being secreted
and protected on shore, all efforts to retake
them were fruitess. The ship sailed again on
the 9th October, with crew of seventeen
men, all told, four of whom were natives of
Kings Mill Groupe and two of other Islands
on the South Sea. The intention was to touch
at Bay of Islands or Port Jackson to make up
the complement of men. On Sunday, Nov
eth lat. 90 N. lon, l62 E., whales were rails
ed and both boats lowered in chase, leaving
Capt. Norris, Portuguese boy named Manuel
Jose dos Refs, who acted as Steward, and three
of the Kings Mill Islanders on board. The
u .,
which the ship ran down to and took alongside
they continuing in pursuit of others. At 8
o'clock, P. M. the mates boat being about
mile and half fom the ship, her signal was
discovered at half mast, and he Immediately
pulled towards her. The singular and unac-
countable management Of the ship for some
time previous had already been remarked by
those in the boat and excited the lvelest APP
prehensions as they approached her. Coming
up upon her quarter within speaking distance,
the boy, who was aloit and had cut the main
top-gallant halyards, told Mr.. Smith, the mate,
that the Islanders had killed Captain Norris
and were in possess OH of the ship. Just then
one of them, armed with cutting spade and
entirely Naked leaped upon the taffrail, and
brandishing his weapon with most furious and
menacing gestures, dared the crew to come on
board. The other two were also naked and
stationed one at each side of the Ship where
they had collected all the whaling craft, billets
of wood, hammers, belaying-pins, in short eve-
ry thing that would serve as missile or often
sive weapon, determined to resist any attempt
to board. The task of retaking the ship was
evidently one of extreme difficulty and danger,
for the mutineers had the advantages of posi-
ton and plentiful supply of arms, with the
resolution and skill to use them effectively.
ilttI oHu ulSCuSStiI2 various pldtS
for retaking the ship, Mr.. Clough the third
mate proposed that both boats should pull ahead
of the ship, and when it was quite dark, taking
every precaution to avoid exciting the suspi-
cions of the mutneers, he would jump into the
sea, and passing close by the side of the ship,
enter her by the cabin windows. The ship and
boats were surrounded by sharks, attracted
probably by the carcass of the whale killed in
the morning, to defend himself against which
he took boat knife in his teeth, and let him
self into the water as silently as possible. AT
the same moment the ship took aback and it
became necessary to swim;-but to ''strike out"
and make the best of his way would cause
sparkling of the water, and betray approach to
the look out, SO that he was Obliged to ''walk
water" by which scarcely any agitation was
made and almost as little progress. 1t was a
tedious passage of more than an hour and
half in duration, terminated at length by diving
under the ship, selling the rudder at the heel,
and ascending by the after part of to the star
board cabin window, through which he made
his en- try. Two large sharks were close to the
boatwhen he left her, and kept him company
the whole time without offering to modest him,
aud the knife, which luckily had been useless
he left upon the transom as he got in at the
window.