34° 



CHAP. 



XV. 



A VOYAGE TO THE 



The prifoners were then afked by the court if they had 

 any queftions to put to the witnefs } They all anfwered, 

 December. No, they had none, 



Mr. Adam Cumine, third officer of the fhip Belvidere, 

 called In, and defired to inform the court of what he knew 

 of the prifoners and mutiny. 



At about half pail ten o'clock of Saturday night, the 

 I ft of December, I heard the chief mate get up and call 

 for a light, as the people were then finging and making a 

 riotous noife; I fufpeAed he meant to go forward and quiet 

 them. The fifth mate followed them immediately, and 

 myfelf very foon after. I had at that time no idea the 

 chief mate would meet with any ill treatment ; but by the 

 time I got forward, was much furprifed to find that James 

 Keiff had feized the light out of his hand; and the chief 

 mate, who had then got Keiff down upon a chcft, was 

 attempting to retrieve the light, the fifth mate giving him 

 every affiftance in his power. We dragged Keiff aft into 

 the fteerage ; I then perceived the people meant to make a 

 general mutiny, there being a. cry from all quarters, Turn 

 out, turn out; at the fame time a ftool and fome other 

 things were hove aft amongft us in the fteerage. The 

 petty officers then interpofing in our favour, we got Keiff" 

 upon the quarter-deck, and put him in irons. The people 

 were by this time all upon the quarter-deck, and were in- 

 fifting upon having the prifoner delivered up to them; but 

 being oppofed by the officers at the break of the quarter- 

 deck, they did not attempt to force their way aft. Lad- 

 fon, Conner, and Kelly, being the principal ringleaders, 

 '* gave 



