The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-08-19
THE FEARFUL MUTINY on THE NEW BED
FORD wHALEsHIP JUNIOR.

We find in the Hartford Times the particu.
lars of the mutiny OF board the whaling ship
Junior" of New Bedford. 1t is horrid af.
fair. The mutineers are now in New London :
NeV London, July 3O.-The whaleship Jun.
Tor, of New Bedford, sailed from that port, on
a whaling voyage, on the 2lst of july, 1857.
She went around the Cape of Good Hope into
the Indian Ocean, bound for New Zealand.
When in lat. 81 SO south, long. l56 SO east,
and about 400 miles from New Zealand, part
OF the ships crew rose in the night, and muir.
dered the captain, (Archibald Mellen, iun, of
Martha's Vineyard, y and the third mate, John
Smith, of Boston, They also attempted to
murder the first and second mates at the same
time, and dangerously wounded them
The prominent facts are these: The ring
leaders in the mutiny are Cyrus Plummer and
Richard Cartha. These two, in company with
Cornelius Burns, John Hall, alias William
Payne, William Herbert and perhaps some
others, by a preconcerted arrangement, about
one o'clock on the morning cf the 10Th, armed
themselves and went into the cabin, where the
captain and three mates were asleep. Plum
mer proceeded to the captains state-room,
and immediately shot him with a whaling. gun,
containing three balls, when the captain in.
oe0hNy cPfoue w, onO cACbimeQ, MY GOQ !
what is this 2" Plnmmer replied G. d
you, it is mel" and then took him BY the hair
of the head, and dispatched him by repeated
ribs. At the same time that Plummer went to
the captains state room, Burns, Hall, and
Herbert, proceeded to the staterooms of the
mates.
Hall shot the first mate in the shoulder with
whaling gun with six balls, inHcting horri
hIo ND R..z l.. ii Al =
peated stabs through the body with q boarding
knife; Cartha in the mean time struck at the
second mate with boarding knife, but missed
his victim. He then drew pistol and fred at
him, the ball striking his rib, and inflicting q
severe but not dangerous wound. In the mean
time, Burns attempted to dispatch him, but be
surrendered and went ON deck, and the mutt.
neers, after binding him, agreed to spare his
life.
When Hall fred into the first mates berth,
he set the bed on fire, and, supposing them all
dead but the second mate, the mutineers left
the cabin. The first mate was first awakened
by hearing Plummer give the word fire." when
he Immediately received the six balls in his
shoulder. At the same time, he heard scream.
ing, which proceeded undoubtedly from the
other officers who were at the same time being
attacked. The FIRST mate, Mr.. Nelson Provost,
was stunned by the explosion and the wound
he had received for q moment or two, during
which the mutineers, supposing him dead, left
the cabin and went on deck. Mr.. Provost then
got up, and went to the captaic's state room,
and found him on his chest, leaning on his arm.
He raised him up, and he breathed two or three
times, and, without speaking, expired. Mr..
Provost also went to the second and third mates
rooms, and found the former wounded and the
latter dying.
The mutineers soon after, finding Mr.. Provost
was still alive ordered him to 90 on deck, and
he attempted to 60, but he apprehended bis
life would be taken, and retrested into the MP.
per hold, and secreted himself among the bar.
rels. In the mean time, the burning bed had
communicated the flames TO the wood work of
the cabin, and before Mr.. Provost left and went
into the hold, he begged the mutiueers to put
out the FIRE. This they succeeded in doing
after the cabin had been badly damaged by the
flames, considerable portion Of 1t having been
burnt.
Immediately after the havoc in the cabin was
finished, and the mutineers got on deck, they
called all hands, when Plummer and Cartha in.
formed them that the ship was taken and the
former proceeded to take command. They
then proceeded to search the ship for the Hrst
mate, but did not sncceed in finding him until
VIC hisu ooys INOt uuoluk nlm 6IteT o6Verai
days search, and finding cabin window open.
they surmised that he had Jumped overheard.
In the mean time, Provost, becoming faint
from loss of blood, and thirsty, crawled into
the lower hold, and finding cask of water with
the bung out, tore off his shirt collar, and, dip
ping it into the cask sucked from the cloth a
little water, which enabled him lust to support
life. He found little bread ALSO
BY the time they discovered Provost, on the
fifth day, the murderers had found out that thew
could not navigate the ship, and were glad to
spare his life on condition that he would pilot
them TO Cape Howe, in New South Wales, an
uninhabited portion of the island, This Mr..
Provost, being entirely in their power, promised
to do. They also compelled him to promise, by
swearing on Bible, that, after they had landed,
he would Immediately sail for New Zealand,
nearly Q thousand miles from New South Wsles
Mr.. P. gave them the courses by which to work
the ship, and they brought her within fifteen or
twenty miles of land, when the mutineers left |
the ship, with some others of the crew, whom
they had coaxed OF coerced to join them, ma
king ten, the mutineers included. They left on
the 4th Of January, taking with them two boats. |
with stores, clothing, &C., and sailed for Cape |
Howe -
While on board the Junior, they guarded the |
wounded mates, the guard being armed with |
pistols and Ratchet. Daring the nights, how, |
ever, Plummer and Cartha would allow no one
but themselves to stand watch over them,
After the mntineers left the ship, and were |
out of sight, Nc. Provost took command Of the |
ship, and stsered Immediately for Sidney, Nev
South Wales, which il about $50 miles from
Cape Howe, where the mutineers landed. The |
condition of affairs was Immediately reported to !
The American Consul at Sidney, and q British