Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-20
A TERRIBLE 0fUTINY AT SEA
Three of the Crew of the Natal. from
Boston, Shot in the South Pacific.

A Liverpool telegram in the London
Times of the 4th inst. says: ''Capt. Lewis,
OF the bark Kafir, while on voyage from
Calcutta to England, sighted the Swedish
schooner Natal, Capt. Enstrom, which
had sailed from Boston December "a for
Brisbane, with a cargo of Yankee ssno-
tions." The Natal signaled that she re-
quired immediate assistance, that she was
short-handed, and that a mutiny had
broken out among her crew. Capt. Lewis
ran down to the schooner. and saw
men on deck with their heads
bandaged. He armed a boats crew
and went on board. He found the Cap
tam and mate suffering from severe
wounds. The crew, consisting of three
men, were kept at work by fear only. The
vessels were then in lat. 81 deg. 16 min. S.
long. "a deg. AZ min. f. The story told bv
Capt. Ehstrom was that the crew had
originally consisted of two officers and
five men of various natiOnalities. The
rlngleader OF the crew, who hailed from
Australia, understood, as he thought. how
the cargo of sorts which the vessel car
rIed could be turned to account among
the islands of the Pacific. The man had
given trouble during the voyage. but
nothing overt had occurred till the night
OF the mutiny, 10th of December.
capt. Enstrom on that night was living
asleep III the cabin when he was attacked
by the crew. Two men, armed with axes.
attacked the Captain, while another man.
with a revolver, attacked the mate. who
was also asleep in his berth. The man
VINO assalled the mate fired at him twice.
but whether from the powder being damn
Or the cartridges old the shots were not
mortal. One took effect in the hollow be-
tween the eyes, and another in the chin.
w hen capt. Lewis saw the mate the bull
lets were still i'll the wounds. AS the man
attacked the Captain the axe caught i'm
low beam OF the cabin, but he struck
the sleeping man in the jaw, slicing
OIL a portion of the bone and cut
tlng the neck. A second stroke which
mad lost It's force from the same cause
crossed the first wound. The sailor who
hred at the mate bOlted. When the mate
rushed into the Captains cabin he found
MIN struggling with two men, one of
whom stabbed him in the neck with a
sheath knife. On the entrance of the
mate the two men left the cabin. The
mate and Captain followed the mutineers.
put were assailed with handspikes and
driven back. They then bound UP their
wounds and got their guns. The crew.
seeing they were armed, ran forward.
four OF them got down into the hold. but
the fifth was made prisoner and secured
aft. The matches We're then put ON the
mold to keep in the other four prisoners.
On looking round after the struggle. the
captain discovered blood on the port rail.
showing that before making an attack
ON the cabin the mutineers had murdered
the second mate and had thrown his BODY
overheard. The crew were kept in the
hold till Tuesday, the 20th of November.
They refused all terms and remained in
state of mutiny, and, as the Captain and
mate were wounded it was Impossible
Tor them to navigate the ship. The Cap
tain had no alternative, after fair warn
ing, but to proceed to eXtremities. Two
OF the mutineers were then shot, when
the others submitted and agreed to work
the vessel. Matters We're in this state
When the kaffir spoke the schooner. Capt.
Lewis gave what assistance he could, and
beng in command of a small vessel him
self he could not make prisoners of the
mutineers. The leader, the Australian.
nad been shot. Capt. Lewis called for
volunteers from his crew and gave Capt.
Enstrom two men. The Natal being thus
strengthened resumed her voyage, the
Captain expressing his intention to call
IN at Adelaide.