J4?y 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
had not merited any, but to the contrary, had met my entire ap¬ 
probation. I then represented the- serious consequences which 
would be likely to result should all hands so far forget their duty 
to the service and their respect to my orders, as to follow the ex¬ 
ample of those who were now under punishment for going on 
shore without leave, and all seemed impressed with a Sense of the 
necessity of strict subordination. I now informed them of the re¬ 
port Which had been circulated, and assured them that although I 
gave no credit to it, should such an event take place, I should 
without hesitation put a match to the magazine and blow the m all 
to eternity; but I added, “ perhaps there may be some grow, ids 
for the report, let me see who are and who are not disposed to 
obey my orders; you who are inclined to get the ship under way 
come on the starboard side, and you who are otherwise , disposed, 
remain where you are;” all hastened to the starboard side. I now 
called out White, he advanced trembling; I informed them this 
was the man who had circulated a report so injurious to the cha¬ 
racter of the crew; indignation was marked on every countenance. 
An Indian canoe was paddling by the ship; I directed the villain 
to get into her, and never let me see his face again. All now re¬ 
turned cheerfully to their duty, the prizes Seringapatam, Sir An¬ 
drew Hammond, and Greenwich, were safely moored under the 
fort, and placed under charge of lieutenant Gamble of the ma¬ 
rines, who, with midshipman Foltus and twenty'-one men, volun¬ 
teered to remain with them until my return, or until they could 
receive further orders from me. In my orders to lieutenant Gam¬ 
ble, I exhorted him to pay every regard to the most friendly in¬ 
tercourse with the natives, arid to endeavour to introduce among 
them the cultivation of seeds of different kinds which I left with 
him. My views in leaving him with these vessels were to secure 
the means of repairing my ships in case of an action on the coast: 
and to avoid his being unnecessarily detained here, I gave him 
orders to leave the island in five and a half months from the trine 
of my departure, if he should not hear of me before the expira¬ 
tion of that period. My orders to him, which were very fuli, I 
was under the necessity of destroying at the time of my capture, 
as well as several parts of my Journal of this period, as it wouid 
have been highly improper to have let it fall into the enemy’s 
