The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-30
THE DEAD SHIP.

The following narrative Is taken verba-
tim from manuscript left by the late Geof-
frey Pember, sometime master OF tho let
ter of marque Misery, who died at the age
Of 20 in l79S, and who lies buried in tho
churchyard of st. Mary's at Shrewsbury;
In the month of January, 1862, being
then in my tifty-fourth year and having
followed the sea all my life, | obtained
command of the letter of marque Misery,
ship Of 500 tons burden, that mounted l6
guns on the broadside and IA long brass
swivel on the quarter deck, and that had
been fitted out by some merchants of Bris-
tol to cruise against the Spaniards in the
West Indies
1t was not without much labor that
got crew, all the better men having been
pressed for the kings service, and when
did get one / had no great cause to be
pleased, for more ruflianly and unruly
set never set eyes upon. Yet | had with
me as master au old and tried shipmate,
Warren Hodges, and there was also with
me my dear son Humphrey who II years
later was killed, lieutenant of tho Ruby,
at the gallant capture of the French frig-
ate La Prudente of Gonaive AT the time
of which speak he was no more than ls,
yet he was so brave and determined q lad
and so good u seaman that with him and
Warren Hodges thought TO make shift to
do my business and to manage my rabble
in the forecastlc.
It was on the 2lst Of the month that we
weighed anchor and dropped down tho riv-
er with the tide and with u pleasant breeze
from the northeast There being then u
convoy coming down channel and bound
fer Jamaica, lay to all the 22d and 23d
TO the southwark of st. Mary's, and early
on the morning of the cath | sighted the
kings frigate Rainbow, which, with tho
Gosport and Biddeford, had under her
charge not fewer than 80 sail Of merchant
men. To my chagrin, the captain OF the
Rainbow, u young buck who l make no
doubt, was more at home in St. James
park than on his own quarter deck and
who was scented like French dancing
master pressed nine Of my best men. Yet,
there being then many Spanish frigates
aud ships of the line OIL our coast, could
not disdain the company Of the kings
ships and was forced 10 bear with it, even
though it cost me SO dear.
With them sailed until Feb. g. when,
being as nearly as could reckon in longi-
tude 80 degrees west and latitude - de-
greeS 80 minutes south-for, by cause Of
the foul weather, we had taken no obser-
vation for two days-a storm scattered the
fleet, and we. with only three of the mer-
chantmen still in sight, were driven by the
force Of the gale to the southwark.
The storm abated somewhat on the llth.
and we were enabled 70 bear up again for
jamaica, but my men, having now 10 fear
OF the kings ships, put on from that in
stant a mutiuOus disposition and soon be-
gan to carry themselves SO outrageously
toward me that | perceived they were
minded to stick at nothing in order 10
seize the Misery for their own ends.
Being plainly assured Of this as well by
my own sight and hearing Us by the re-
ports Of my faithful servant Richard
White, blaCkamoor whom had brought
nine years before out Of Guinea, | took
counsel with my son and Warren Hodges
TO prepare for the worst. caused the arm
chest to be removed into the great cabin,
the door Of which fortified from within.
/ ordered the brass swivel on the quarter
deck to be kept loaded with keg Of bul-
lets, so that | might be able to sweep all
the deck forward, and l made Richard
White sleep every night under the gun,
with dark lantern beside him and
match in his hand
But these and the other provisions that
took were of no avail against the treach-
cry of the crew, and 70 add to my uneasi-
ness had the modification of finding that
we lost sight one By one Of the three re
naming merchantmen, and that by the
middle Of the month We had but ourselves
for company.
One morning, hearing a noise upon the /.
forecastle, l ran up on deck. Warren
Hodges, who had the morning watch, was
not to be seen, but could hear his voice
ra' d in anger and the voices Of some Of the I.
C threatening him, with oaths Return
to the cabin for pistol aud hanger,
went forward and found that the mutt
neers had seized both Warren Hodges and T.
the blackamoor and had already bound
them and thrown them into the chains, |.
where they lay crying Justify for help.
Whipped out my hanger to cut the /
ropes with which they We're bound, where .
at great man named Morton, the ring .
leader, as / now knew him to be of the .
mutiny, stepped out from among the men .
and declared that if dared to interfere .
should pay the penalty with my life; that .
he and his friends had determined to seize .
the ship and to cruise with her on their .
own account against the Spaniards and .
that ! might either stay where was and .
serve under him or take the consequences.
Angered at the fellow insolence, | rails
ed my pistol with the intention of shoot
ing him as he stood but the powder flash
ed in the pan, and in all instant was
seized from behind, flung upon the deck .
and bound Gs securely as Warren Hodges
and the blackamoor. My first thought was
for the safety Of my dear son. now had
the modification Of seeing him led, hound, .
from the cabin, where during all this time
he had been asleep, and with us he was
put under close guard in the hold.
For full week Morton came daily to
see US, seeking to persuade us to throw in
our lot with his, but we steadfastly refus-
cd, and on the eighth day he came to us
early with the news that az we were hut
1alers in the ship, and as he could not
Hpare men for our guard, he would send US
adrift that morning.
At noon, therefore, having lowered the
yaNyl, they unbound us and ordered us
over the side So stiff were we from our
long Confinement and so weak from lack
Of food, for the villains had gone near to
starve Us, that we could not but do their
bidding, nor could we all Of us do that
without help from the mutinecrs, who
nevertheless ieered at our sad condition
and mockiDgly wished us a pleasant voy-
age. In three hours we were out Of sight
OF the ship ia IN open boat, without either
water, provisions, sails, oars or compass,
-Jyith blazing sun above Us and with, as
made out, not less than 200 leagues be
tween us and the nearest land.
Warren Hodges had received n blow on
ttte head at the first outbreak and had ever
since lain half dazed, speaking little. In
three hours, maddened, as / supposed by
the sun, he was raving maniac, calling
for water and desiring to throw himself
overheard, and that night no died.
Nor were any of us in much batter plight