THE FAXM0TJTH MUTINY OF 1810. 357 



amounts so remitted to the underwriters or not, may be deter- 

 mined by those stilled in such matters. The fact is, that they 

 retained them. 



Two at least of the common sailors on board the " Duke of 

 York" had £500 worth of goods to sell on commission, and 

 one of these men profited by the capture to the extent of .£300. 

 The total value of the goods on board the packet, when she left 

 England, was over £4,000. 



These figures show that it was more profitable to be cap- 

 tured than to take a prize, as well as decidedly safer. It will be 

 perceived, that the sudden cessation of the opportunity of having 

 the good luck of the fortunately captured "Duke of York's" 

 men, must have been felt by the sailors of the Lisbon packets 

 as a serious grievance. It is probable that the hope of 

 obtaining service upon one of these packets, was the chief 

 motive which attracted sailors to the Post Office service, at 

 Falmouth. The protection from the impress, which was the 

 only other considerable advantage possessed by the packet men, 

 was in force at all stations. 



The cessation of the private trade was, however, not the 

 only ground of complaint. As usually happens in such cases, 

 the sailors from pondering over one grievance, speedily dis- 

 covered that they had others. The rate of wages paid to them 

 had been fixed some years before. Since its settlement, the 

 prices of all commodities had steadily risen ; and those wages, 

 which at the beginning of the century seemed liberal, were in 

 1810 inadequate to support a family. The Lisbon men commun- 

 icated this discovery to the crews of the other Falmouth packets, 

 who welcomed it, and the disaffection spread rapidly. 



There seems little doubt that the rate of wages was too low. 

 The agent certainly was of that opinion : and he stated that the 

 seamen urged their complaint with great moderation and pro- 

 priety. They assembled in great numbers outside the Agent's 

 office on the 15th August, and selected two men from the crew 

 of each packet, whom they charged with the presentation of 

 their memorial. This document contained a temperate statement 

 of their case, and was in due course forwarded to London for 

 consideration. 



