1830.] Tales of a Tar. 671 



as was fairly mazed. The second leaftennant had charge o' the ship, for the 

 first was ashore, and the captain, in course, was seldom aboard. One Mister 

 W n was second-leaftennant, and a finer fellow, they said, never took trum- 

 pet in hand. I '11 never forget, no, never, as long as breath's in the body o' Bill, 

 the look o' the man when he first tumbles up from below. ' What's the matter? 

 what's the matter ?' says he, lookin' up in the crowded riggin', with his eyes 

 starin' out of his head for the riggin' was reg'larly manned, and there was more, 

 ay, more nor seven hundred souls in the shrouds. ' Oh God !' says he, flingin' 

 himself down on his knees, and heavin' up his arms aloft ' oh 1' says he, ' is it 

 corned to this ? Shoot me shoot me !' says he ' blow out my brains at once, 

 for I never can live to hear it said, that whilst // said he, with the blood biling 

 up in his face, < whilst 7 had charge o' the ship, a disturbance broke out aboard ! 

 ' We'll not hurt a hair o' your head,' sings out a couple o' hands, fast hurryin' 

 down from the larboard main-riggin'. ' No, not a hair,' says Uddlestone, one of 

 tke Charlotte's quarter gunners, as was made one of her delicates. ' Not a hair, 

 says Bob Glyn, the other as belonged to the folksel for I knew the pair on 'em' 

 well. ' Not a hair,' says Bob, stepping up to the man on his knees. c Get up, 



sir up, sir,' says Uddlestone ' Rise, Mister W n/ ' Rise, sir/ says Glyn, 



' you 've always behaved like a man,' says Bob, as he and Uddlestone lends the 

 poor gemman a fist to get on his pins ' We 've nothing to say, no, not a word 



against you, Mister W n, nor officer aboard.' f N o,' says Uddlestone, ' we 



wants no more nor our grievances granted, and it's not the leaftennants, nor 

 yet the captains, in the fleet as can now do what we wants.' 



" Well, you know, the whole fleet a followin' the Charlotte's cheer, showed the 

 officers at once 'twas a reg'lar blow-up, and not confined to one or two such dis- 



the fleet/ says Bob, have made up their minds not to put breast to bar, or lift 

 an anchor, till our wrongs are reg'larly righted.' 'But mind/ says one Bill Wil- 

 liams, a Welchman born as fine a young fellow as ever you seed he stood six 

 feet two in his stockin'-feet e mind ye/ says he, steppin' for'ard in front o' the 

 officers ' ay, and let it be clapt in the log,' says he, slappin' his thigh to give 

 weight to his words, for Bill, they said, was a capital scholard, and could spout 

 by the fathom wi' the best bencher aboard ' mind, gemmen/ says he, ' if so be 

 as the enemy's fleet puts to sea, we'll first give the ships up to the officers fol- 

 low and fight 'em ay, and beat 'em in the bargain ; for d it' says he, ( it 



never shall be said we shy'd Mister Crappo, or hadn't the same nat'ral likin' to 

 lick him as ever. And then/ says he, with a flourish of his fist, 'we'll come 

 back to Spithead in the triumph,' (though I don know why he should fix upon 

 she, for she wasn't altogether one of the staunchest) ' and repeat,' says he, f our 

 complaints till we makes every lord in the land shake in his shoes.' 



It would not be easy, by detached quotations, to give an adequate idea 

 of this very curious and interesting narrative ; but we may do something 

 to " stay" the anxiety which we are certain our readers must feel re- 

 garding the only genuine account yet given of one of the most startling 

 events in our annals, during the existence of which, the safety of the 

 state hung as on a cobweb. The following is an illustrative incident. 

 A lieutenant of the London is tried by the delegates for shooting a seaman 

 of that ship; his conduct is defended by Fleming, one of the principal 

 delegates, an educated seaman. 



"Well, when, after some discussion, I perceived that the delegates felt them- 

 selves compelled, as it were, to sacrifice the lieutenant's life to the fury of the 

 fleet, I rose from my seat, I must say somewhat excited, for it was an exciting 

 subject. 



" ' Good God !' said I, ' are we men, or the mere tools of men ? Do we come 

 here to use or abuse the reason the good Almighty has given us ? Is it/ said I, 

 ' after proving yourselves to be the most temperate, and rational minded men 



