PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 93 



The journal finishes nearly at the period of M 'Coy's 

 death, which is not related in it : but we learned 

 from Adams, that about 1799 Quintal lost his wife 

 by a fall from the cliff while in search of birds' eggs; 

 that he grew discontented, and, though there were 

 several disposable women on the island, and he had 

 already experienced the fatal effects of a similar 

 demand, nothing would satisfy him but the wife of 

 one of his companions. Of course neither of them 

 felt inclined to accede to this unreasonable indul- 

 gence ; and he sought an opportunity of putting 

 them both to death. He was fortunately foiled in 

 his first attempt, but swore he would repeat it. 

 Adams and Young having no doubt he would fol- 

 low up his resolution, and fearing he might be more 

 successful in the next attempt, came to the conclu- 

 sion, that their own lives were not safe while he was 

 in existence, and that they were justified in putting 

 him to death, which they did with an axe. 



Such was the melancholy fate of seven of the 

 leading mutineers, who escaped from justice only to 

 add murder to their former crimes ; for though 

 some of them may not have actually imbrued their 

 hands in the blood of their fellow-creatures, yet all 

 were accessary to the deed. 



As Christian and Young were descended from 

 respectable parents, and had received educations 

 suitable to their birth, it might be supposed that 

 they felt their altered and degraded situation much 

 more than the seamen who were comparatively well 

 off: but if so, Adams says, they had the good sense 

 to conceal it, as not a single murmur or regret es- 

 caped them ; on the contrary, Christian was always 

 cheerful, and his example was of the greatest service 



