ale which we brewed at Anamooka" (Hamilton).

[73-2] Every reader must be struck by the fact that in his description of
this disaster, Edwards never once speaks of the prisoners. Hamilton, it
is true, does say "The prisoners were ordered to be let out of irons,"
but another account, ascribed to Lieutenant Corner, second lieutenant of
the _Pandora_, throws a sinister light on this part of the narrative.
"Three of the _Bounty's_ people, Coleman, Norman, and M'Intosh, were now
let out of irons, and sent to work at the pumps. The others offered their
assistance, and begged to be allowed a chance of saving their lives;
instead of which, two additional sentinels were placed over them, with
orders to shoot any who should attempt to get rid of their fetters.
Seeing no prospect of escape, they betook themselves to prayer, and
prepared to meet their fate, everyone expecting that the ship would soon
go to pieces, her rudder and part of the sternpost being already beat
away. No notice was taken of the prisoners, as is falsely stated by the
author of the 'Pandora's Voyage,' although Captain Edwards was entreated
by Mr. Heywood to have mercy upon them, when he passed over their prison
to make his own escape, the ship then lying on her broadside, with the
larboard bow completely under water. Fortunately the master-at-arms,
either by accident or design, when slipping from the roof of 'Pandora's
Box' into the sea, let the keys of the irons fall through the scuttle or
entrance, which he had just before opened, and thus enabled them to
commence their own liberation, in which they were generously assisted, at
the imminent risk of his own life, by William Moulter, a boatswain's mate
who clung to the coamings, and pulled the long bars through the shackles,
saying he would set them free, or go to the bottom with them. Scarcely
was this effected when the ship went down. The master-at-arms and all the
sentinels sunk to rise no more. Among the drowned were Mr. Stewart, John
Sumner, Richard Skinner, and Henry Hillbrandt, the whole of whom perished
with their hands still in manacles."

Some allowance is to be made both for the confusion of a shipwreck, and
for the natural fear of the commander that in the loosening of the ties
of authority natural to such a moment, the liberation among his crew of a
number of men who had already mutinied successfully, and were going home
with a rope about their necks, would be an act of merciful folly. This,
howev