o be driven into the pound by the marines, and the ladder
drawn up. Some of the prisoners, rather imprudently, cast some
reflections on Mr. O. and his family; in consequence of which, he
ordered us all to be driven below, and the hatches closed upon us; and
he represented to the commodore that the prisoners were in a state of
mutiny. He was so alarmed that he sent the female part of his family
on shore for safety, and requested a reinforcement of marines. At the
same time we made a representation to the commodore, and stated our
grievances, in our own way, and we demanded the extra half pound of
soft bread, forfeited by the contractor. In all this business we were
as fierce and as stubborn, and talked as big as a combination of
collegians, to redress bad commons. We remained in this situation two
days; one from each mess going on deck for a supply of water, was all
the intercourse we had with our superiors. During all this time, we
found we had got hold of the heaviest end of the timber. We found it
very hard contending against increasing hunger, and should have been
very glad of a few hard biscuit. Some began to grow slack in their
resistance; and even the most obstinate allowed their ire to cool a
little. To lay such an embargo on our own bowels was, be sure, a
pretty tough piece of self-denial; for we found; in all our
sufferings, that bread was, the staff of life. We were about taking
the general opinion by a vote, whether it was best to eat hard
biscuit, or starve? Just as we were about taking this important vote,
in which, I suspect, we should have been unanimous, the commodore and
Capt. Hutchinson came on board to inquire into the cause of the
dispute; and this lucky, and well timed visit, saved our credit; and
established the Yankee character for inflexibility, beyond all doubt
or controversy. These two worthy gentlemen soon discovered that Mr. O.
had made representations not altogether correct. They therefore
ordered the hatches to be taken off, and proper bread to be served
out, and so the dispute ended.

What added to our present satisfaction was, that _Mr. my Lord Beasly_
was to allow us two pence half penny sterling per day, for coffee,
tobacco, &c. We now, to use the sailor's own expressive phrase, looked
up one or two points nearer the wind than ever.

That Mr. O. had been in the royal navy from his infancy, and now, at
the age of forty five, ranks no higher than a lieutenant. He once
commanded a sloop,