derstand our motives and intentions, we came to the conclusion to
leave the place forthwith. This was painful, after such struggles and
sacrifices and misfortunes; but there was no other course to pursue.
Accordingly, on the 3rd of November, 1830, we set fire to our house and
castle, and departed by the light of them, taking the _beche-de-mer_ we
had collected and cured."

So ends Mrs. Morrell's story of the tragedy of "Massacre Island". She
has much else to relate of the subsequent cruise of the _Antarctic_ in
the South Pacific and the East Indies, and finally the happy conclusion
of an adventurous voyage, when the vessel returned safely to New York.

If the reader has been sufficiently interested in her story to desire
to know where in the South Pacific her "Massacre Island" is situated,
he will find it in any modern map or atlas, almost midway between New
Ireland and Bougainville Island, the largest of the Solomon group, and
in lat. 4 deg. 50' S., long. 154 deg. 20' E. In conclusion, I may mention that
further relics of the visit of the _Antarctic_ came to light about
fifteen years ago, when some of the natives brought three or four round
shot to the local trader then living on Nisan. They had found them
buried under some coral stone _debris_ when searching for robber crabs.

CHAPTER V ~ MUTINIES

Mutinies, even at the present day, are common enough. The facts
concerning many of them never come to light, it is so often to the
advantage of the after-guard of a ship to hush matters up. I know of one
instance in which the crew of a ship loading guano phosphates at Howland
Island imprisoned the captain, three mates and the steward in the cabin
for some days; then hauled them on deck, triced up the whole five and
gave them a hundred lashes each, in revenge for the diabolical cruelties
that had been inflicted upon them day by day for long months. Then they
liberated their tormentors, took to the boats and dispersed themselves
on board other guano ships loading at How-land Island, leaving their
former captain and officers to shift for themselves. This was one of
the mutinies that never came to light, or at least the mutineers escaped
punishment.

I have witnessed three mutinies--in the last of which I took part,
although I was not a member of the ship's crew.

My first experience occurred when I was a boy, and has been alluded to
by the late Lord Pembroke in his "Introduction" to the first book I had
published--