The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-05-06
Oahu, except Dinsman, he came home in the Por-

Mr. BRAcKENRIDGE.-I was assistant botanlst of
care Of plants, &C. brought home, and now at the
patent ofhee. was In the interior Of the island
while, the ship lay at Honolulu. saw these men
after they were brought board, after their impr-
sonment, and'recollect their being whipped once,
and but, once. I may have been on sheer
at the other times, and was not always on board
when the ship was at sea, | always witnessed
punishment when on board We were all called
TO witness punishment; if had been on board
must have seen it; two of them returned with us,
Baab and Roberts; we reached the United States in
June; think they were confined in irons on board
SHIP but can't say , whether single q double did
other day till they returned to duty; something was
said in the shape of advice to go to duty to avoid
the necessity Of punishment; they said their term
was up, and refused; they were detained, presume,
had been very arduous and difficult in the South
we were then going to the Northwest Coast; they
were whipped with ," cat;" that is an instrument
the size of this quill should say it would smart,
but never saw 1t draw blood.
Cross-eramined-Has been in the fort, and seen
the houses in which prisoners are confined; they are
arranged within the walls Of the fort, with the back
to the wall, and the front looking out on an open
area space there are no doors to close them, and
they are not needed for comfort in that climate one
of the rooms visited was twelve to fourteen feet
square, with mats ON the floor, and mats hung round
the walls, and bed or bunk raised from the floor
some Little distance with mats in it it altogether
very comfortable another was somewhat smaller,
with mat on the foor and mats only on two sides,
with bunk on the floor and mats in it !; it was not
comfortable as the other, but still far from an UNI
comfortable place; did not examine them particu-
ary to observejwhcther they were clean not taro,
is certainly healthful, nutritious, and invgorating
plant describes it botanically,] the natives almost
live it, either plainly cooked or as they prefer it
made into Pod to one not well accustomed to 1t, it
is most acceptable in its simplest form; have al
most lived on it myself; did witness the punish
ment of the men, but feeling no curiosity was pre-
sent under duty, and did no more than attend with
out particularly observing; It was not from any great
should have had but little sympathy for them; in
this case the punishment was inflicted with all the
usual forms on board ship l did not observe
anything out of the ordinary way.
SAMUEL PKNsYL.-I was one Of the marine guard
on the Vincennes; before we got to Oahu the time
of some of the men expired; they agreed to keep
on till they got to Oahu, where they could be sent
before they refused to do duty after Smiths time
was up we requested the Sergeant to speak to the
Captain don't know if he did; never got any an.
ewer; took 1t on our own responsibility to refuse to
called us aft to the half deck and asked US the rea.
son; we told him our enlistment had expired, and
we wished to be sent home from, port where there
were vessels to 60 home in; he dismissed us about
our business; we went forward he sent fol, Capt.
Wilkes Capt. w. came aboard, called US, asked us
the same question, we gave him the same answer
he told Mr. Carr to take US ashore in single irons,
prison till the ship sailed were taken ashore in
single irons, in charge Of officer of the ship and
two Sergeants, taken to the fort, put into cell all
three together; in the first place in double irons
the irons were carried from the ship; we were left
there alone except the boatswan Of the FORT as they
called him, to look after us kept in that cell two
days, then separated each to his own cell and kept
In the fort eighteen or twenty days. kept in double
irons, except when allowed to 60 out on necessary
occasions; then they were taken of, and q sentry
went with u.s. brought us back, and put the irons
again; none OF our countrymen were with us to
Put ia .elr Kind vf bunk put up; after tllat,
in my cell, there was nothing but bunk on the
ground with mats under me dirt floor; it was dirty
and filthy; believe there was vermin there, for
was full of them when l got aboard they
did not let US have clean shirt while we were
there fed us on taro and fish the taro was fresh
but sometimes the fish was not good, and we had to
throw them away. In the fort the natives were
brought in day and night they were not ironed, but
they had the same sort of tire atment otherwise the
sergeant was in once; Lieut.; Pnckney and DIR; Gil
how long we had to serve but he said he would hold
his own responsibility till the end of the cruise,
and he would punish us every day till we went to
duty he did not let us state our case to him; an Off
the officer; Mr.. Covociresss took us on shore the
natives turned out to see US brought on shore and
carried back; we then had irons on our hands; as
we came aboard, Capt. Wilkes and Mr.. Carr stood
to duty; we told him our terms had expired, and we
did not wish to serve any longer he then told Mr..
Carr to put us in the brig in double irons; persua-
sions were used by Capt. w. to induce to return
TO duy were kept there till next day, then cal
led on deck; Capt W asked us if we would return
to duty; we answered him same as before; he then
had us whipped, and gave us a dozen on the bare
back after whipping he ordered Mr. {, Carr to put Us
anything; in the evening" did not 60 to quarters the
sergeant reported US, and then we were ordered into
double irons in the "brg' continued there till next
day, then brought to gangway as before; he asked
same answer, and he ordered us to be stripped and
whipped again; Dinsman went on the Doctors list
on the second day, from the effects Of the blows,
suppose; Baab suffered; the stripes from the blows
were plain enough; Capt Wilkes did not say any
thing to US about our agreement to serve for the
cruise; 1t was not shown to us; when we said we
would not 60 to duty, he said he would whip us
every day till did, and take the responsibility let
the consequence be it would; thing after the
second whipping; let us 60 at large on deck till
evenings we did not 60 to quarters; were reported,
and put in the brig IN irons, and kept t next morn
ing, with sentinel over U.S. next day called up again.
same thing again, whipped and let go in the even
ing reported, put in prison. brought up next day, the
ith time, and then went to duty; recoect Roberts
beng whipped, but don't know what 1t was tor; he
told Capt Wilkes that was no place to see his rights
but he would see it when he got to the United
States.
Cross-eramined.-Wa not in the service before
exploring expedltlon; enlisted In Philadelphia, IN
October, 1896; joined the Relief, and went into the
vncennes at Callao did not enlist for the exploring
expedition; enlisted for four years; ! did not
receive any. bounty. A paper was read to
us on board the Relief by Mr. Rowan, first lieuten
ant, then commanding her; Purser Dunn had the pa
per; after that received 1915 cash, liberty money
and signed the paper; Captain Edelin, told us we
might have liberty on shore, and understood this
paraiso, and at Callas was transferred to the VIM
cennes When we were at Oahu, and afterwards,
when we were punished, Captain Wilkes did not re-
fer us to the sergeant tell the sergeant to explain
TO us how longwe had to serve. We knew our time
was up. He never did explain to us that we had en-
listed, or were to serve, for the cruze; he never
made any explanations at all, but only required us to
go to duty, or he would fog us every day. Stearns
was our sergeant; there was no commissioned Off
Ger on board Baab Smith and refused duty togethcr
and we went with the sergeant to MIR. Carr. Think
there were prisoners in the brig at that time; had
been at the island week or two; don't recollect