in justice to admit that you," turning
to the members of the watch, "appear to have received great provocation,
inasmuch as there can be no doubt that you have been greatly harassed by
Mr Carter's habit of unnecessarily interfering with the disposition of
the canvas set on the ship. I have, indeed, myself noticed this, my
attention often having been arrested by the sounds of making and
shortening sail during the night-watches, when you all doubtless thought
me fast asleep in my berth; and I have had it on my mind for some time
past to speak to Mr Carter on the subject; I should have done so long
ago but for my great repugnance to interfere with my officers except
upon the most urgent grounds. I confess I had no idea that the
provocation had been going on for so long a time; the master of a ship,
like other mortals, requires sleep; and doubtless many things are said
and done whilst he is taking his rest of which he can know nothing
unless they are brought to his notice by others. It was therefore
manifestly your duty, in justice to me as well as in obedience to the
law, to make complaint to me of any grievances of which you may have
considered yourselves the victims; and that, instead of doing so, you
took it upon yourselves to resent your grievances by refusing obedience
to the orders of your officer, constitutes your offence--an offence
which, in my opinion, has been sufficiently punished by the wounds
inflicted upon two of your number. You have satisfied me that your
lapse of duty was in reality a matter strictly between yourselves and
the second officer, and in no wise a defiance of my authority, or I
suppose I need scarcely say I should not take this lenient view of your
conduct. As for you, Mr Carter," the skipper resumed after a pause,
"you have placed me in the very unpleasant position of being compelled
to suspend you from duty until the arrival of the ship at Sydney. You
have proved yourself incompetent to command a watch with that tact and
moderation which is so essential to the safety of a ship and the comfort
of those on board; and, led away by your heat of temper, you have
hastily and unnecessarily resorted to measures of extreme violence,
which might, had the men been of a similar temper, have led to a
dreadful disaster. You may retire to your cabin, sir. Mr Bowles, do
me the favour to call Mr Dashwood."

Young Dashwood was found sitting on his chest, dressed and ready for any
emergency, the entir