KAUAIANDOAHU. 61 



as to make it necessary to take it out and rebuild it on shore. By 

 using one of the spare topmasts and purchasing a spar, we succeeded 

 in rebuilding- it. The cheeks and trestle-trees of the Peacock's mast 

 had also to be replaced in consequence of decay. These were vexa- 

 tious occurrences, occupying the little time we had to spare, and 

 making it uncertain whether we should be able to perform the 

 remainder of our work. Fortunately, we found at Honolulu good 

 workmen, disposed to affoi'd us all the assistance in their power, and 

 being also well provided ourselves with carpenters, we were enabled 

 to overcome these difficulties in time, though at considerable expense. 

 Among our other duties, a court-martial became necessary. The 

 services we were engaged in had rendered it impossible to convene 

 one prior to our arrival here ; and if it had not been for the imperative 

 necessity of making an example in the case of two marines on board 

 the Peacock, I should have been inclined still to defer it from want 

 of time. Besides the two marines, there was an unruly fellow by the 

 name of Sweeny, an Englishman, who had been shipped in the 

 tender at New Zealand, and was at times so riotous on board my ship, 

 that I determined to try him also. A court composed of the oldest 

 officers of the squadron sentenced them " to be flogged at such time 

 and place as the commander of the squadron might think proper." 

 Understanding from our consul that the sailors of the whaling fleet, 

 as is most generally the case, were disposed to be disorderly, and my 

 interference having been several times asked for, I thought it a good 

 opportunity to show the crews of all these vessels that authority to 

 punish offences existed. I therefore ordered the sentence of the 

 court to be put into execution publicly, after the usual manner in such 

 cases ; a part of the punishment to be inflicted at each vessel, dimi- 

 nishing very much its extent in the cases of the two marines. At 

 the time of the infliction of the punishment I received a letter (for 

 which see Appendix IV.) from the most respectable portion of the 

 crew, requesting Sweeny's discharge, and stating that he was a 

 troublesome character. To insure his dismissal, they offered to pay 

 all the debts he might owe to the government. As he had no claim 

 on the squadron or flag, which, I was afterwards told, he had fre- 

 quently cursed, and as he had been only six months in the squadron 

 (having joined it with scarce a shirt to his back), I resolved to comply 

 with the men's request, and sent him out of the squadron at once, 

 with his bag and hammock, far better off than when he joined us. 



VOL. IV. 16 



