180 AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF PAUL JONES. 
voyages to the West Indies before the incident of Mungo Max- 
well. In the beginning of October, 1769, we find a petition by 
Robert Maxwell, father of Mungo Maxwell, and residing at 
Clonyards, stating that “ Mungo Maxwell was hired or engaged 
by John Beck, merchant in Kirkcudbright, who is one of the 
owners of the ship or brigantine, called the ‘ John of Kirkcud- 
bright,’ to go on board the said vessel, which was then about to 
sail for Jamaica and other parts of the West Indies, and to act 
on board the same as a carpenter until she should return to the 
port of Kirkcudbright.’’ He goes on to say that his son accord- 
ingly entered on board the vessel, of which Paul Jones was 
master, and soon after the vessel sailed from Kirkcudbright. 
The “John’’ did not return to Kirkcudbright till Saturday, the 
3rd November following, and the next day Robert Maxwell, 
having got notice of her arrival, went to Kirkcudbright to visit 
his son. He, however, was informed of his son’s death, and 
the petition proceeds :—“ While in the West Indies, and on board 
the said vessel, he (Mungo Maxwell) was most unmercifully, by 
the said John Paul, with a great cudgel or batton, beat, bled, 
and bruised, and wounded upon his back and other parts of his 
body, and of which wounds and bruises, he soon afterwards 
died on board the Barcelona packet of London, then in the West 
Indies, and lying near to the place where the said other vessel 
was. That the informer cannot learn the particular time or 
place, when and where his said son received the aforesaid 
death wounds, nor the particular time or place when and where 
he died ; but he is well satisfied that the men and other sailors on 
board the said brigantine, upon examination before your lord- 
ships, will clear up the matter, and show that the said Mungo 
Maxwell was beat, bled, and wounded, and died in the manner 
before set forth. May it therefore please your lordships to pre- 
cognose the whole sailors or mariners on board the said vessel 
or brigantine ‘John,’ and in the meantime to grant warrant to 
search for and apprehend the said John Paul, and to incarcerate 
his person in the Tolbooth of Kirkcudbright, or some other sure 
warding place, therein to remain to and while he be tried for the 
aforesaid crime, and be liberated in due course of law, accord- 
ing to justice, and the informer shall ever pray.’’ The petition 
is addressed to the Right Honourable William Earl of March 
and Ruglen, Vice-Admiral of Scotland, and John Goldie, 
