200 THE LIFE OF 



mufl: have feemed filled with fire, and the weight 

 of his dying friend muft have effedlually pre- 

 vented him from ufing his arms. Thus embar- 

 rafTed, furprifed, and on all fides furrounded by 

 armed ruffians, none conid have fuftained fuch an 

 aflault but the man who, long accuftomed to the 

 fhock of war, has learnt to defpife death, and who, 

 on all occafions, even when the thunder of God 

 burfi:s round his head, claps his hand to his 

 fword, and ftands undaunted. Who then can be 

 aftonilhed that a youth, who neither wearing a 

 fword, nor bearing a commifiion, confequently 

 had contra(51ed no obligation to fight or die, 

 iliould conceal himfelf ? For him, therefore, no 

 apology is neceflTary ; for the officers of the 

 New South Wales Corps and Lieutenant Drum- 

 mond it may be, perhaps, difficult-to find one. 

 Out" of the reach of the mutineers, furnifhed 

 with every neccfiary, incapable of being at- 

 tacked, except by the hatchways, which we 

 could eafily have blocked, and fufficicntly nu- 

 merous to have aded upon the offenfive, it is 

 their province, not mine, to account for their 

 extraordinary condudl. 



Mr. Murchifon had already obtained leave to 

 join us ; and in fa6t, he and myfelf were the on- 

 ly two on board whom the mutineers treated 

 with confiderarion ; him they knew to polTefs 

 courage ; that he was powerful, and would de- 

 fend 



