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with maggots and every kind of vermin, that the poor wretches had to 

 discard their clothing. Their hands and feet were all shackled with 

 iron, and three armed sentries were placed outside with orders to prevent 

 any communication with the crew and to shoot anyone who spoke to 

 another in the Otaheitan language. One day, probably owing to the 

 shrinking of the men's wrists. Captain Edwards ordered the handcuffs to 

 be reduced in size. In carrying out this order the first lieutenant would 

 not be at the trouble to unlock a handcuff to take it off, but seizing it 

 with both hands, and putting his feet against the man's breast, he pulled 

 it by main force over the hand, bringing all the skin with it. On the 

 29th of August, in approaching the coast of New Holland, the "Pandora" 

 struck upon a reef, and soon became a total wreck. 



The story of the shipwreck is so graphically told by Morrison that 

 I need not be afraid of wearying you if I quote it almost in full. He 

 says : " The current running fast, forced the ship further on to the reef 

 with violent and repeated knockings, and we expected every surge that 

 the masts would go. Seeing the ship in this situation, we judged she 

 would not hold long together, and as we were in danger every lurch of 

 killing each other with our irons, we broke them off, and informed the 

 officers what we had done. In the meantime the ship lost her rudder 

 and part of the sternpost, and having heeled over between eleven and 

 twelve, she was brought up in fifteen fathoms, with both anchors, and 

 the first cry was, 'Nine feet of water in the hold !' Coleman, Norman, 

 and Mcintosh (three of the prisoners) were now ordered out to assist at 

 the pumps and to get the boats out. When Captain Edwards found we 

 had broken our irons, he ordered the rest of us to be handcuffed and 

 leg-bound again, though we begged for mercy, and desired leave to help 

 at the pumps. The master-at-arms and the corporal were then armed with 

 pistols, and placed as additional sentinels over us, with orders to shoot 

 the first man who stirred ; and the master told us Captain Edwards 

 would shoot or hang at the yard-arm any man who attempted to break 

 the irons. There seemed, therefore, no remedy but prayer, as we never 

 expected to see daylight again ; and having recommended ourselves to 

 the protection of the Almighty, we lay down, and tried for a while to 



I 



