and Yawl, over the Gunnel, cut the main and Fore-mafts 
by the Board, and the Sheet Anchor from the Gunnel. 
T he Captain lent the Barge afhore, to fee if the Place was 
inhabited ; but, the People not returning on board as di- 
rected, the Lieutenant was fent in the Yawl, with Orders 
to bring off the Barge * This he fent off, but ftayed afhore 
himfelf. As foon as the Barge came on board, the Cap- 
tain was perfuaded, being very ill, to go afhore which he 
did, accompanied by the Land Officers, Mate, and Mid- 
ihipmen. The Officers remaining on board were the 
Mailer, Boatfwain, Gunner, and Carpenter : Upon the 
principal Officers leaving the Ship, feveral of the Sailors 
fell to broaching the Wine, breaking open Cabins, and 
doing every thing that might be expected from Wretches 
mad and drunk. The Veffel being bulged in the Midfllips* 
the reft of them went on ffiore. The Ifland they found 
uninhabited, and nothing in it for Subfiftence except Ce- 
lery, which grew wild, Muffels, Limpets, and other Shell- 
ftffi, and fome wild Fowl. A Spirit of Mutiny foon 
fhewed itfelf amongft thefe unhappy Men ; for, on the 
1 6th, the Boatfwain being on board the Wreck* made a 
Signal for a Boat to come on board •, but, finding no Ap- 
pearance of any* he brought a Quarter-deck Gun to bear 
©n the Captain’s Hut, which grazed over it, without doing 
any other Damage. As foon he came affiore, the Captain 
for this ftruck him a Blow with his Cane, that knocked him 
down ; and he lay motionlefs, and, to Appearance, dead, 
for fome time. When he came to himfelf, and faw a Piftol 
cocked in the Captain’s Hand, he prefented his naked 
Bread to him ; but the Captain only told him. He deferved 
to be fhot ; and faid no more then. This is a Demonftra- 
tion of the Temper they were in on all Sides. If they had 
taken due Care, they might certainly have made themfelves 
very eafy in the Place where Providence had placed them 5 
for, befides that they were vifited by the Indians , who be- 
haved very well towards them, they got abundance of things 
out of the Ship* and of luch things as one cannot help won- 
dering how they came there ; viz. feveral Chefts of Wax- 
candles of all Sizes, Bales of Cloth* of Stockings and Shoes, 
with fome Clocks, and other mercantile Wares, with which* 
fays my Author, the Ship was thronged. 
But, inftead of taking the beft Meafures poffible for their 
own Security and Prefervation, they were continually con- 
triving each other’s DeftruCtion. They had not been on 
fhore above three Weeks* before eleven of them formed a 
Defign of blowing up the Captain, the Surgeon* and a 
Lieutenant of Marines, in their Tent. On this Defign 
being difcovered, they deferted ; but the Train they had 
laid for executing their villainous Purpofe was found, and 
appeared a clear Teftimony of the Truth of the FaCt. Soon 
after* a Difturbance happened, in which Mr. Henry Cozens , 
Midlhipman, was fhot by the Captain on June 10. and, 
on the 24th, he died. At this time, there were forty-five 
Seamen dead fince the Ship ftruck, and 100 ftill remained 
upon the Ifland. It happened, that a INdidfhipman on board 
the Wager had borrowed from Captain Cheap Sir John Nar- 
brough's Voyage to the South Seas ; which falling into the 
Hands of fome of the Officers, they immediately formed a 
Defign of lengthening their Long-boat, and endeavouring 
to fteer through the Streights for the Coaft of Brafil, tho° 
at the Diftance of 600 Leagues. It was certainly a very 
bold Defign, and a very ftrong Teftimony, that Englijh 
Seamen have Spirit enough to undertake and execute any 
thing, that is in the Power of Man. 
As foon as this Refolution was taken, they drew up the 
following Paper, which was figned by the Carpenter, and 
forty-two Officers and Seamen, as alfo by Captain Pem- 
berton, and two Lieutenants of Marines : 4 We, whofe 
* Names are under-mentioned, do, upon mature Confi- 
de ration, as we have met with fo happy a Deliverance, 
4 think it the beft, fureft, and mod fafe Way, for the Pre- 
fervation of the Body of People on the Spot, to proceed 
4 through the Streights of Magellan for England : Dated 
at a defolate Ifland, on the Coaft of Patagonia , in the La- 
titude of 47 South, and Weft Longitude, from the Me- 
ridian of London, 8 i° 40', in the South Seas, this fecond 
4 Day of Aagu ft, 1741.’ This Paper they carried to the 
Captain, and laboured all they could to engage him to 
comply with their Defire ; which, however, had little 
Effefl • for he made abundance of Objections, fuggefting 
to them, that they were not above one hundred Leagues 
from the Ifland of Juan Fernandez ; that they were but at 
a fmall Diftance from the Ifland of Chiloe , allowing, how- 
ever, that it was not likely, that they ftiould find the Com- 
modore at the firft-mentioned Place ; becaufe, as he affirm* 
e d, he was pofitively inftruCted to attack Baldivia , a Port 
of Chili • nbt that it was probable they fliould do any Good 
at Chiloe. In all this, however, he only temporized ; for, 
when they preffed him for a direCt Anfwer, he flatly de- 
clared, that he was not refolved to go that Way. This 
produced new Diforders and Seditions ; till at laft they 
refolved to rid themfelves of the Captain’s Authority alto- 
gether : And, to do this, they could not find a better 
Pretence than to make him Prifoner for the Murder of 
Mr. Cozens ; which accordingly they did on the 9th of 
October in the Morning, feizing him in his Bed : Upon 
which Occafion the Captain behaved with great Spirit and 
Firmnefs, declaring abfolutely, that it never was his In- 
tention to comply with their Defign of going through the 
Streights of Magellan , and that he was prepared for any 
Fate that might befal him ; only he feemed to relent the 
ConduCt of his Officers, who had put themfelves at the 
Head of the Mutineers. 
One cannot help being furprifedat fo odd a TranfaCtion, 
or forbear wondering to fee, that the greateft Hardlhips, 
the moll intolerable Diftre fifes, cannot alter the Frame of 
the human Mind, or change, for any Length of Time, the 
Difpofition of the Man. Captain Cheap had governed 
delpotically on board, without ever confulting his Officers, 
or taking Pains to gain the AffeCtion, as well as to fecure 
the Obedience, of his People. He affeCted the fame 
Manner of aCting, when fhipwrecked on a defert Ifland ; 
and, inftead of encouraging the People to live peaceably 
and harmonioufly together, and to concur in every thing 
neceflary for the common Good, he fhut himfelf up in his 
Tent ; iffued his Orders from thence, with great Loftinefs 
of Mind ; and, while he was carelefs of the common 
Safety, fhewed an exceffive Jealoufy of his own Authority. 
It was this kind of Management that put the other Officers 
upon contriving how to return home, without waiting for 
their Captain’s Directions : So natural it is for People, in 
all Cafes, to believe they are releafed from the Duty of 
Obedience* when their Governors forget to proteCt 
them. 
The Scheme of palling through the Streights of Magel- 
lan took Rife from the Accident I have before-mentioned ; 
and, I mull confels, I think it a Misfortune, that they hap- 
pened to meet with that Book ; for, if their Minds had 
not been prepoflfefled with a Notion, that this was the only 
Way by which they could return, they might, undoubt- 
edly, have found a nearer Paflage ; for, in the Latitude of 
5 °° South, there is a Gulph, on the Coaft of Patagonia , 
which runs very far within-land, from whence they might 
have rowed up the Rio de la Camp ana, which falls from 
a great Lake in the Heart of the Country j out of which 
there runs another River, that falls into the North Sea, 
not far from Port St. Julian which Paflage may be about 
fourfeore Leagues, or at moll one hundred, and would have 
faved them all their tedious Voyage through the Streights 
of Magellan , and from thence along the Coaft of Patagonia , 
to that very Port of St. Julian. But the former Paflage 
being once propofed, and the Captain endeavouring rather 
to ffiew them, that this was impracticable, than to point out 
any other fhorter or better Paflage, the Difpute ferved 
only to divide and diftraCt them, and to create luch Diffi- 
culties in carrying on the important Affair of lengthening 
their Long-boat, upon which, at all Events, their Safety 
depended, that the Carpenter, who had the Direction of 
it, ran mad with repeated Difappointments ; and it was with 
very great Difficulty that the Defign was at laft accom- 
plilhed, and their new Veflel finifhed in luch a manner* 
as to be able to put to Sea. 
I am very forry, that I am obliged to make thefe Re- 
flections, which feem to bear hard upon an unfortunate 
Gentleman, for whom I have the greateft Tendernels and 
Companion : But the Reader will find them fully juftified 
hereafter, when he takes a View of the Commodore’s 
ConduCl in the fame Circumftances ; When he lees him 
ilk’ 
