HIiStoORY .O-;, EU ROPE. 
us this check as a warning, and I 
hope we shall improve by it. On 
him then let us trust, where our 
only security can be found. I find 
there are many good men among 
us ; for my own part, I have had 
full confidence of all in this ship ; 
and once more beg to express my 
approbation of your conduct. 4 
~“ May God, Who has thus far 
conducted you, continue to do so; 
and may the British navy, the glory 
and support of our country, be re- 
stored to its wonted splendour, and 
be not only the bulwark ‘of Britain, 
but the terror of the world, 
“« But this can’ only be effected 
by a strict adherence to our duty 
and obedience ; and let us pray that 
the almighty God may keep us in 
the right way of thinking, 
** God bleéss you all.” 
At an address so unassuming, 
modest, und pious, and so well 
calculated, from its simplicity and 
truth, to touch the human heart, 
the whole ship's crew were dissol- 
ved in tears. They declared, by 
évery expression they could devise, 
their resolution to abide by the ad- 
Mmiral in life or death. ‘Their ex- 
ample was followed by all the 
other ships, besides those already 
mentioned. And the admiral, not- 
withstanding the defection of so 
considerable a part of his squadron, 
repaired to his station, off the coast 
of Holland, to watch the motions 
of the Dutch fleet; and resolved, 
still, not to decline, should it offer 
him battle. 
The principal person at the head 
of this mutiny was one Richard 
Parker, a man of good natural parts, 
and some education, and of a re- 
markably bold and resolute cha- 
racter. Admiral Buckner, the com- 
manding officer at the Nore, was 
= 
[21g 
directed by the lords of the admi- 
ralty, to inform the seamen, that 
their demands were totally incon- 
sistent with the good order and re- 
gulations necessary to be observed 
in the navy, and could not for. that 
reason be complied with: but that 
on returning to their duty, they 
would receive the king’s pardon for 
their breach of obedience. To this 
offer Parker replied by a declara- 
tion, tbat the S&amen had unani- 
mously determined to keep posses= 
sion of the fleet, until the lords of 
the admiralty had repaired to the 
Nore, and redressed the grievances 
which had been laid before them. — 
In order to put an end, with all 
possible expedition, to a mutiny that 
appeared so dangerous, lord Spen- 
cer, lord Arden, and admiral Young, 
hastened immediately to Sheerness, 
and held a board, at which Parker 
and the other delegates attended : 
but their behaviour was so audaci- 
ous, that the lords of the admiralty 
returned to town without the least 
success. The principal article of 
complaint, on the part of the muti- 
neers, was the unequal distribution 
of prize-money, for the omission of 
which they much blamed their fel- 
low seamen at Portsmouth. On 
the return of the lords of the admi- 
ralty, from Sheerness, a proclama- 
tion was issued, offering his majes- 
ty’s pardon to all such of the mu- 
tineers as should immediately re- 
turn to their duty; intimating, at 
the same time, that admiral Buck. 
ner was the proper person to be ap- 
pliedto on such anoccasion. All 
the buoys, by order of government, _ 
were removed from the mouth of 
the Thames, and the neighbouring 
coast ; from which precaution, any 
ships, that should attempt to get 
away, would be in danger of run— 
[P 4] ning 
