66 
THE FIRST MUTINY. 
[chap. II. 
of my address was a great outbreak of insolence on 
the part of the ringleader of the previous evening. 
This fellow, named Eesur, was an Arab, and his imper¬ 
tinence was so violent, that I immediately ordered him 
twenty-five lashes, as an example to the others. 
Upon the vakeel (Saati) advancing to seize him, 
there was a general mutiny. Many of the men threw 
down their guns and seized sticks, and rushed to the 
rescue of their tall ringleader. Saati was a little man, 
and was perfectly helpless. Here was an escort! 
these were the men upon whom I was to depend in 
hours of difficulty and danger on an expedition in 
unknown regions; these were the fellows that I had 
considered to be reduced “ from wolves to lambs 
I was determined not to be done, and to insist upon 
the punishment of the ringleader. I accordingly went 
towards him with the intention of seizing him ; but 
he, being backed by upwards of forty men, had the im¬ 
pertinence to attack me, rushing forward with a fury 
that was ridiculous. To stop his blow, and to knock 
him into the middle of the crowd, was not difficult; 
and after a rapid repetition of the dose, I disabled 
him, and seizing him by the throat, I called to my 
vakeel Saati for a rope to bind him, but in an instant 
I had a crowd of men upon me to rescue their leader. 
How the affair would have ended I cannot say ; but as 
the scene lay within ten yards of my boat, my wife 
who was ill with fever in the cabin witnessed the 
whole affray, and seeing me surrounded, she rushed 
out, and in a few moments she was in the middle of 
the crowd, who at that time were endeavouring to 
rescue my prisoner. Her sudden appearance had a 
curious effect, and calling upon several of the least 
mutinous to assist, she very pluckily made her way up 
to me. Seizing the opportunity of an indecision that 
was for the moment evinced by the crowd, I shouted 
to the drummer-boy to beat the drum. In an instant 
the drum beat, and at the top of my voice I ordered 
the men to “fall in.” It is curious how mechanically 
