LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS 
657 
from Batty Bay to Fury Beach, but who, nevertheless, contrived 
to hobble along on his stump, receiving from his comrades, 
every assistance, which it was in their power to bestow. 
It is with great reluctance, that we enter upon the relation 
of some particulars respecting Taylor, which, we sincerely hope, 
for the sake of humanity, and the personal character of Capt. 
Ross, are not founded on truth. Our authority is in existence, 
and we give the statement upon the credit of his veracity, and 
the great improbability of a charge of so serious a nature, being 
the result of invention, dictated by malice or ill-will. We are 
perfectly aware of the strong prejudice, which existed in the 
minds of the majority of the crew against their commander, 
and that they were, consequently, disposed to attach to his 
actions the most sinister motives, and to view his general con¬ 
duct through the distorted medium of an inveterate dislike. 
But severe as we may be represented to have been, in our stric¬ 
tures on certain parts of the private and professional character 
of Capt. Ross, as far as relates to his conduct during his last 
voyage, we have still, very frequently, only given the outline 
of the transaction, refraining in the spirit of mercy and com¬ 
passion, from filling it up with those dark shades, which were 
ready at our hand, and which were presented to us by the indi¬ 
viduals themselves who were the victims, and who could not 
be actuated, by any motive of interest, to exaggerate the cir¬ 
cumstances, nor to impose upon us with their fabrications. With 
the knowledge, however, of the propensity, which appears to 
be inherent in the human character, of attaching a degree of cri¬ 
minality to the actions of another, in proportion to the prejudice, 
which has been imbibed against him, we should have felt disposed 
to have looked upon some parts of our information, with an eye 
of suspicion, had they reached us upon the authority of a single 
individual ; but when the same information comes to us, corro¬ 
borated by the authority of others, we cannot refuse our belief 
to it, nor consent to its omission, from a false sense of delicacy 
towards the feelings of the individual, by whom the act was 
perpetrated, and who ought to be branded with everlasting 
infamy, if the crime can be brought home to him. We have, 
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