board the Suffolk, under the flag of Rear-Admiral Rainier. The following account of a mutiny which subsequently took place on board that ship, is contained in a letter from one of her officers to his friends in England, dated off Point de Galle, Jan. 23, 1798:
“On the 15th of this month, a very serious mutiny broke out on board this ship, then at Colombo. The sailors, in a body, required the redress of what they called grievances, but which were in reality the most insolent demands: the Admiral spoke to them on the folly of their conduct, and shewed them that they possessed every indulgence which was granted to the ships in England; but this not satisfying them, they imitated the conduct of the mutineers at home, ascended the rigging, and huzzaed defiance; at the same time attempting to point 2 guns at us. The officers instantly pushed forward to seize the ringleaders, and secured one of them; the rest forced themselves below. We armed immediately, and after much resistance, secured ten of them in the middle of the whole crew. The 16th, 17th, and 18th, the officers kept constantly to their arms, night and day; when they found that we were prepared to defend the ship with our lives, they were too much intimidated to attempt any thing further, and quietly submitted. Had we deliberated a moment, all would have been lost; the guns on the forecastle would have swept the quarter-deck; they would have had time to organize the mutiny, and must have got the better of us; the officers being only 30 in number, whilst the ship’s company is 550. The crews of the Arrogant and Carysfort, the only ships with us, were disorderly at the same time, but returned to their duty without coercion.”
In another letter from the same officer, dated off Tellicherry, April 10, 1798, we find the following passage:
“We have since been perfectly quiet; but, I am sorry to say, we are not yet free from doubts of our people’s sincerity: we are therefore obliged to be at all times prepared for the worst. You will no doubt deem it a disagreeable piece of duty to be always armed with loaded pistols; but as they insure our safety, and will enable us at all times to strike the first blow, they are indispensably necessary. We have one great comfort, in possessing but one opinion of the proper conduct to be pursued in case of another disturbance;– to sell the ship as dearly as we can, and to support our authority at the risk of our lives, is the unanimous resolve. This the refractory sailors know, and they are intimidated by it; if the 70 marines we have on board do their duty, there is no fear but that we shall make of the mutineers a severe example to future times.”
The minds of the seamen belonging to the East India squadron appear to have continued in a state of ferment until intelligence was received of Duncan’s glorious victory off Camper-
