SCHEMES OF THE MUTINEERS. 53 



into a canoe, escaping therewith to the mainland. They were never heard of more. 

 These men were a good riddance, but a more unfortunate event was to follow. Mr. 

 Cozens, a midshipman, had been placed under confinement for being drunk, and using 

 abusive language to the captain, but was soon after released. Subsequently he had a 

 dispute with the surgeon, and later with the purser. The latter told him that he had 

 " come to mutiny," and fired his pistol at him, narrowly missing him. The captain, 

 hearing all this, rushed out, and, without asking any questions, shot Cozens through the 

 head, and then declined to allow him to be removed to shelter. The wretched young man 

 (whom Byron believes to have been purposely " kept warm with liquor, and set on by 

 some ill-designing persons/' as he had always been a good-natured, inoffensive man 

 when sober) was allowed by the captain to die like a dog, " with no other covering than 

 a bit of canvas thrown over some bushes," fourteen days afterwards. This gave the 

 men a good excuse for that which they were about to execute. 



It had been arranged that the long-boat, rescued from the wreck, should be 

 lengthened. The captain proposed that they should proceed northwards in the Pacific, 

 hoping that they might encounter and master one of the enemy's ships, and rejoin 

 Commodore Anson ; the men, very generally, were bent on making their voyage home 

 through the Straits of Magellan. While the alterations were in progress, the matter 

 rested temporarily, as they were occupied in saving portions of, or stores from, the wreck, 

 or in obtaining shell-fish and sea-fowl, which seem not to have been too abundant. 

 Byron had cherished in his little hut a poor Indian dog, which had become much 

 attached to him. One day a hungry party of the men came to him, and, after a little 

 ineffectual remonstrance, took the dog away and killed it ; " upon which," says Byron, 

 " thinking that I had at least as good a right to a share as the rest, I sat down with 

 them, and partook of their repast. Three weeks after that I was glad to make a meal 

 of his paws and skin, which, upon recollecting the spot where they had killed him, I 

 found thrown aside and rotten." One of the men constructed a novel craft from a large 

 cask, to which he lashed two logs, one on either side. In this he ventured out to sea, 

 and often managed to get wild fowl. One day he was upset by a heavy sea, but managed 

 to scramble to a solitary rock, where he remained two days, till accidentally rescued by a 

 boat party. 



While the coast was being reconnoitred, the "old cabal" had been revived, the 

 debates of which generally ended in riot and drunkenness. The meeting of the leading 

 mutineers was held in a large tent, which had been made snug, by lining it with bales 

 of broadcloth driven from the wreck. Eighteen of the ship's company had possession of 

 this tent, from whence committees were dispatched with their resolutions, and quite as 

 often with demands for liquor. The captain seemingly acquiesced, so far as their 

 projected voyage was concerned ; but when they began to stipulate that his powers as 

 commander must be restricted, he naturally insisted upon the full exercise of his rights. 

 " This broke all measures between them, and they were from this time determined he 

 should go with them, whether he would or no." The unfortunate affair concerning Cozens 

 was raked up, and they threatened to put him under confinement, and bring him to trial 

 in England. When, however, they found that the long boat, cutter, and barge were 



