PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
253 
how far his influence might extend. I had, therefore, long deter¬ 
mined to get clear of him on the first favourable opportunity* 
One was not long in offering itself. I had directed him to pro¬ 
ceed to superintend some duty on board onepf the prizes; he ap¬ 
peared, a short time after I gave him the order, somewhat intoxi¬ 
cated, and insolently told me he had not been sent from the ship 
in a proper manner. Finding him not in a proper state, I direct¬ 
ed him to stay aft on the quarter-deck until he was sober. He at¬ 
tempted, however, shortly afterwards, to rush by me. His din¬ 
ner was taken on deck to him by his messmates ; this he threw 
overboard in the presence of the officer of the deck, and at the 
same time demanded permission to go below; and while the offi¬ 
cer of the watch was reporting to me his conduct, he left the 
deck. I then caused him to be confined there in irons, and as he 
had dropped some expressions respecting his time being out, and 
treated with derison (more by his actions than by his words) his 
confinement, I determined at once to discharge him. I therefore 
directed the purser to make out his accounts, and discharge and 
sent him on board the Seringapatam, until we should arrive at 
some place where he could be put on shore. The discharge of 
Rynard produced an effect I little expected ; it rendered every 
man in the ship sober, attentive, and active in the discharge of 
fiis duty, and assiduous to please ; and those who, in the rum af¬ 
fair, had shpwn themselves more forward than the rest, now ap~ 
peared desirous, by their good behaviour, to do away any unfa¬ 
vourable impression that their conduct might at that time have 
produced. 
The officer having charge of the New Zealander informed me, 
that his ship required caulking in every part; I consequently set 
my carpenters at work on her, and in the mean time the Sir An¬ 
drew Hammond was painted and otherwise put in order. The 
crews of the prizes were again sent to them, and on the 28 th, we 
had completed all our work; each ship had provided a stock of 
turtle, and we had nothing now to detain us but the expected arri¬ 
val of the Essex Junior. We had, ever since our arrival, kept 
men constantly on the look-out from the top of the hill forming 
the north side of the port, which commanded a view of both bays ; 
