The Man Who Made This Demand Was One John Dennison;
And When Mr Taylor Interposed In Behalf Of The Captain, One Edward
Boreman Told Him He Had Better Desist, Unless He Had A Mind To Have A
Brace Of Bullets Through His Head.
There was now an end of all
regularity on board, the authority of the captain being completely
overthrown.
The country people supplied the ship with abundance of rice,
with some cattle and fowls, together with wood and water, for which they
were paid. On the 12th the officers went ashore to wait upon the hoppo,
who had a fine palace. He treated them with great civility, giving them
leave to anchor in the harbour, and to remain there till the adverse
monsoon was over; but for this he demanded 1700 dollars as port-charges,
equal to near L400 sterling, and soon afterward received that sum in
ready money.
It may be remembered that Mr Mitchell went out from. England as second
captain under Clipperton. On his going to Brazil, he was succeeded by Mr
Davidson, who was slain in the unfortunate affair at Guam; to whom Mr
Cook succeeded as second captain. He now demanded to receive thirty
shares of the prize-money in that capacity, in which he was supported by
the men, whom he courted by a continual compliance with all their
humours. Captain Clipperton and the rest of the officers, seeing the
turn matters were likely to take, were very desirous that some allowance
should be reserved for the officers who were absent, and had been taken
prisoners, and for Mr Hendrie and Mr Dod, who had joined them from the
Speedwell: but all their endeavours were fruitless, as the men would not
listen to any such allowances. While these disputes were going on, the
men went ashore as they pleased, without asking leave; and when the
captain endeavoured to correct this licence, the whole company stood
out, and would not submit to controul. After this every thing fell into
confusion, and the men refused to work till they should receive their
prize-money. They even applied to the chief mandarin of the place,
styled Hyhuug by the Chinese, to interpose his authority for obliging
their captain to comply with their demands. This magistrate then
summoned Captain Clipperton to appear before him, and demanded to know
the reason why he refused to give the men satisfaction; on which the
captain produced the articles, which contained expressly that they were
not to receive their prize-money till their return to London. But
Captain Cook, as he was now styled, gave quite a different account of
this matter to the mandarin; on which a guard of soldiers was sent
aboard the Success, with a peremptory order to Captain Clipperton
immediately to settle the shares, and to pay them to the men, with which
he was forced to comply.
This distribution was accordingly made on the 16th September, pursuant
to the order of the chief mandarin; and as no allowance was reserved for
those who had been made prisoners, or for the representatives of those
who had died, or the two gentlemen who formerly served in the Speedwell,
the prize-money stood thus:
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