198 



porter's JOURNALr 



and four of the prisoners of war, were the chief instigators 

 of the plan. 



For the present, he determined to pay no farther atten- 

 tion to the subject, than the strictest prudence required ; 

 and, at the same time, by way of guarding against the 

 worst, to remove all the arms from shore, and all the mus- 

 kets, pistols, cutlasses, and ammunition from the Serin- 

 gapatam, on board his own ship. On the 6th, matters wore 

 a more alarming aspect ; and the sudden change in the 

 countenances of the men, plainly indicated, that an awful 

 explosion was soon to take place. The situation of lieut. 

 Gamble became extremely critical and dangerous. He 

 was at most, enabled to man only one vessel, after muster- 

 ing every effective hand ; and on leaving the Bay, he fore- 

 saw the necessity of destroying two of the ships. Seeing 

 the expediency, however, of meeting the shock with bold- 

 ness and resolution, he continued to prepare for an attack 5 

 and although every stratagem was used to gain an insight 

 into the intentions of his men, no one fact could be ascer- 

 tained with sufficient precision to authorize the confine- 

 ment of either of the suspected persons. He considered 

 Belcher, the only petty officer under his command, a con- 

 summate villain ; and had not the smallest doubt, but that, 

 if he attempted to confine one half of the men, the residue 

 would either make an attack upon him, or escape in a ship. 

 Under such circumstances, it is no wonder that he became 

 extremely impatient to leave the place. 



The 7th commenced with clear weather, and a light 

 breeze from the land. Part of the men were employed in 

 carrying two large oil tanks, and a quantity of rigging, from 

 the Greenwich to the Seringapatam ; the cooper and car- 

 penter in caulking her deck; midshipman Clapp in paint- 

 ing her larboard side ; two of the marines on shore, in ex- 

 tracting oil from the Haamah nuts ; and another on board 

 the Greenwich, in repairing the muskets. At 2 P. M. 

 lieut Gamble went on board the Seringapatam, for the pur- 

 pose of stowing the tanks to the best advantage ; and having 

 ordered one of the men to get into the larboard tank to 

 receive the articles which were to be deposited in it, he 

 went upon deck. In passing the main hatch, a few mo- 

 ments after, he observed them throwing the articles very 

 carelessly into the tank ; and again ordered the same fellow 



