1797-] 
pendence,” was faluted with a general cry 
of RESicN! REstcn! The lord mayor, Mr. 
Stoneftreet, Mr. Dixon, and the other ipeakers, 
againft the refolutions, were. alfa received with 
hiffes, groans, and other fymptoms of difap- 
probation. 
In the month of February laft, letters were 
fent from all the line of battle fhips at Portf- 
mouth, to Lord Howe, praying for his Lord- 
fhip’s -influence towards obtaining a redrefs of 
certain grievances mentioned in the letters; as 
thefe however were anonymous and appeared to 
be all written by one perfon, and couched in the 
fame language, they were confidered as the pro- 
du&tion of fome faétious individual, and were 
thrown afide, as unworthy of anfwer. This neg- 
le& of the petition of the feamen, on their re- 
furn to port, March 31ft, occafioned a corref- 
pondence by letter to be kept up, and pafled 
from {hip to fhip, through the whole fleet ; till 
at length, it was unanimoufly agreed upon, that 
no fhip fhould lift’ an anchor, ull the demands 
of the fleet were fully complied with. In this 
ftate matters remained, till April rath. when 
orders were fent to Portfmouth for Lord Brip- 
PoRT to fail with the Channel fleet; on the 
following day, however, when his lordfhip made 
the fignal to prepare, nota (hip obeyed the fignal. 
Inftead of weighing anchor, the feamen of the 
admiral’s fhip ran up the fhrouds, and gave three 
cheers, which was the fignal to the reft of the 
fleet, for making public their refolutions. Thefe 
cheers were initantly anfwered by the other 
fhips ; and it was manifeit in a moment, that 
the combination was complete. The officers 
Were thunderfiruck at thefe difpofitions, and ex- 
erted themfelves, by various means, to bring the 
men to a fenfe of their duty, but without eff2é. 
The petty officers had concurred with the men, 
in the dete:mination not to do their duty, tilt 
their p2y was increafed ; all the different crews 
however, were very orderly and peaceable in 
their conduét, performing every duty of the 
thips as ufual, except that of weighing anchor. 
The next day a boat from ea_h thip was de- 
manded and two men from the crew of each 
Were appointed delegates to reprefent the whole ; 
the admiral’s cabbin being fixed upon as the 
propereft place for their deliberations. At this 
time none of the officers were fuffered to go on 
fhore, Petitions were now drawn up, and pre- 
fented to Lord Bridport, Sir Allan Gardner, and 
the port admiral, fetting forth, that “ while the 
foldiers and marines had received additional! al- 
lowances, the pay of the feamen had not been 
augmented, they therefore defired an encreate of 
wages ; and a hope was expreiled, that an an-. 
fwer might be given to their petition, before 
they were: ordered to put to fea again.’ The 
exprefiion however, was qualified with one ex- 
ception, “ unlefs the enemy were known to be 
at fea.” © They well knew that no enemy 
was at fea, or likely to put to fea, and therefore 
had pitched upon this as a proper time for en- 
forcing their demands. On the 27th, every 
man in the fleet was fworn to fupport the cauie 
$n which he had embarked; the admjral’s body 
feryants not being exempted from the oath, 
Dometic Incidents Mutiny of the Seamer.’ 
Ropes were now raifed in terrorem at-the fore- 
yard arm of every thip, and feveral officers who 
had behaved in a tyrannical manner, were turn- 
ed afhore, - The deputies confulted tozether 
every day on board the Queen Charlatte, re- 
turning at night to their refpe€tive thips, and on 
getting on board, giving three cheers to the ad- 
miral’s fhip, which were regularly returned, 
They were returned, at the fame time, by ever 
other fhip at Spithead, as well as by the ficle 
and convalefcents in Haflar Hofpital, who en 
tered heartily into the fame caufe, and difplayed 
Alags compofed of a number of hankerchiefs 
tacked together, &c. On the 218th, a commite 
tee of the admiralty (Earl Spencer, Lord Ar 
den, Admiral Young, and Mr, Secretary Marf- 
den) arrived at Portfmouth, in the courfe of 
which and the two following days, feveral prde 
pofitions were made by them to reduce the fleet 
to obedience, but ineffectually. On the 21ft, Ade 
mirals Gardner, Colpoys, and Pole, went on 
board the Queen Charlotte in order to confer 
with the delegates, who had, in a great meafure, 
become converts to the admirals; but could 
fettle nothing, as two delegates from one thip, 
the Royal George, were on fhore. On their 
return on board the Queen Charlotte, they in~ 
formed the delegation and the admirals, that it 
was the determination of the Royal George, ta 
agree to nething that fhould not be fan@tioned 
by parliament, and guaranteed by the king’s proe 
clamation of pardon. 
Inthe whole of thefe proceedings, the condu&k 
of the failors was orderly, fyftematic, and decer- 
mined; they took poffeffion of all the maga- 
zines, loaded all their guns, confined every 
othcer to his refpective thip, kept watch regue 
garly the fame as at fea, and put every thing 
into a ftate of defence. Intoxication or mif- 
conduét in any of the men was feverely punifh- 
ed, and no {pirituous liquors were fuffered to 
be brought on board any fhip. On the 22d, 
the men were fomewhat pacified, and caufed 
two letters to be written, one to the Lords of 
the Admiralty, ftating the grounds of their 
conduét on the preceding day; and another to 
Lord Bridport, in which they avowed no inten~ 
tional offence to him, and ftyled him their 
father and friend.—This had a good effect, for, 
on the 23d, the Admiral returned to his thip, 
hoifted his flag again, and, after a fhort addrefs 
to the crew, informed them, that he had 
brought with hima redrefs of all their griev- 
ances, and the kin»2’s pardon for the offenders. 
After fome deliberation thefe proffers were 
accepted, and every man returned to his duty. 
It was now thought that all difputes were 
finally fettled; the delicate filence, however, 
of Mr. PrzT, in omitting to explain the rea- 
fons which called for an increafe of pay to be 
granted to the navy, when he fubmitted a motion 
for that purpofe to the Houle of Commons, 
was conftrued by the feamen into a difpofition 
noc to accede to their demands; and on Sunday 
morning, May 7, when Lord Bridport made the 
fignal to weigh anchor and put to fea, every 
fhip at St. Helen’s refufed to obey. In the 
courfe of the afterncon, they ordered a meeting 
3 b ba ef 
399 
