The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-06-03

ISou'enpia'eo,a ahu persisted. IN opposition 10
the ringleaders' commands, IN repeating the
| admiral message to the crew. He was Re- =
| by the officers 10 the ward-room. and th.;r
| loud cheers when he spoke probably rave h;
| fresh courage. The ringleaders beeom;ng o
| alarmed at the effect his words and bearing
might have on the British instincts of the shin's
COMPANY, condemned him to be hung in two
hours time, and ordered him TO prepare for
| death meantime in his cabin. There a new
| and singular scene awaited him; one of the
! seamen had taken possession of il, opened his
lockers, and finding some brandy, had been
drinking till he was perfectly intoxicated, and
lay in the sleep of drunkenness on the floor,
| which was strewed and Uttered with the lieute-
nant's clothes, books, &c. A deep oath es-
capped the lips of the ringleaders at this sight.
! Throughout the fleet the mutineers had forbid.
den drunkenness on pain of death; for, fully
aware of the peril OF their position, they kept
up among themselves terribly severe discip'
line. They were raising their insensble com
rade in their arms, and cooly preparing to
throw him overheard, when, aware from their
words of their intentions, the condemned off.
Ger struck one of them TO the floor, and stand
| ing over the again PROSTATE drunkard, declared
| that while he lived he would not see men
who had sailed beneath the British flag guilty
| of murder! The mutneers paused, touched
| probably by this generous defense Of foe-for
the insensibie seaman had been peculiarly bit.
Ter against the officers-and after a multered
oath or two they left the cabin.
The lieutenant remained alone with his dis
gusting and unwelcome visitant, and the two
hours following he described as the most pain
ful of his life. 1t was less the fear OF death
than the destined mode of il which tortured
him: not that he was insensible or indlffcien,
to the blessing of life, for he was by nature of
happy, joyous temperament, and fair pros
| poets of advancement were before him; but in
"war-time" existence was held on such u pre-
carious tenure that the idea of death in batte
| would scarcely have troubled his equanimity.
| Two hours waiting to be hanged, however, is
far different trial for courage, and we have
| never read or imag ined any thing more pain
! ful than The description which the aged admi-
| raj gave us of that ito him) endless period of
time. AS if to add to the horror of his posi-
| ton, the silence. on board was so great that
| it appeared as if he could hear the pulsation
OF his own heart, while the low snoring of the
drunken man struck with painful distinctness
on his ear. AT last the bell struck the fatal
hour, and steps were heard on the ladder. His
door opened; he rose prepared to show no
symptoms OF falterng courage, when the lea
ders OF the party advancing, told him ''that
the people had taken his case into considera-
| t on. and as they believed he individually had
no ill.feeling toward them, and as he had re.
Gently given proof that he cared for the men,
| they had changed his sentence from death to
f0Sgang! He must therefore prepare to re-
ce,ve three dozen on the following morning.
My kinsman, with the ready humor that
never deserted him, returned thanks with mock
gravity for their clemency, and begged them
to carry his compliments 10 the gentlemen who
sent them, and assure them that he could Eot
have believed he should ever have felt so much
satisfaction at the prospect of whipping
The men, always susceptible of fun, laughed.
From that moment he was safe! Falstaff wise
ly despairs of gaining the love of Prince John,
because he could not make him laugh" the
young lieutenant acted as if he possessed
Shakspeare's knowledge of human nature
when he awoke by his jest the slumbering
sympathies of the sailors. He was detained
prisoner, but no further notice was taken of
the threatened fogging.
The mutiny subsided on the 10th of Nav,
when Parliament passed an act to raise the
seamen's wages, and the royal pardon was
bestowed on the mutineers; not, however, be-
fore some sacrifice of human life had ensued,
as Admiral Colpoys, on the recommencement,
OF the mutiny on board the London, had or
dered the marines to fire on the people, and
| three seamen fell. The funeral OF these un-
fortunates was described TO us as a sing ularly
| impressive and touching spectacle. The
| townspeople were fearful of some violence or
| riot on the part OF the sailors when the, land
ed TO bury their dead and consequently closed
| their shutters and retired into their houses
| The mournful procession moved therefore
| through deserted and silent streets on its way
10 the village chlrch-y ard, in which the vic.
| Tins were to be inferred. But there was no
| cause for alarm. The men walked silently
and solemnly, two and two, after their slain
comrades, stern, quiet sorrow legible on their
weather.beaten faces; and nothing could ex-
ceed the reverence and proprety Of their con-
duct beside the grave. 1t is a quiet, pretty
village church-yard in which these most par
donable rebels have their resting place. not far
from which is the large grave where 300 bo-
dies of those who perished in The Royal George
are buried.
One can scarcely forbear wondering at the
little real mischief which proceeded from this
alarming mutiny. 1t afforded, on the whole, u
noble display oil the principal characteristics
| of the British seaman-the frOlic-spirit pecu-
| liar TO him manifesting itself even when he is
most sadly and seriously in earnest. cap
tain of marines, who was especially the object
of the mutineers' aversion. was brought Oh
shore by them. and compelled to parade up
| the High-street to the ''Rogue's March,"
which was drummed before him. He was a
| tall, gaunt old man, with a singularly long
| neck. The day after his expulsion from his
| ship, the crew sent man to his house with a
| message, ordering him to ''come on board again
| and be .hanged.'' The unpopular veteran
sent back his compliments; but considering
! his throat unbecomingly long naturally, he
| did not wish 10 have it stretched: he declined,
| therefore, accepting their invitation. The men
went away laughing. The people and the
times were both extraordinary.
The ship "Extravagance.o