be kept there all night?  On these provocations, the captain attempted to strike him again, but the centinel said, he should strike no prisoner of his.  But Cozens endeavouring to stave a cask of brandy, was soon after released.  This day got out of the ship several chests of wax candles of all sizes, bales of cloth, bales of stockings, shoes, with some clocks and mercantile wares, with which the ship was throng’d.

The 8th, Mr Cummins and myself went to the deserters; we find they were determined to go off to the northward; the reason of their stay is the want of craft to go off in.  They now find themselves mistaken, they believed at first they were on the main, but are convinced they are four or five leagues from it, therefore they purpose to build a punt out of the wreck of the ship:  They live on sea-weed and shell-fish, got up one cask of beef, which was brought on shore with a cask of brandy, found one cask of beef on the rocks.

On Tuesday the 9th, I went with the doctor’s mate to the deserters, and spoke to William Oram, a carpenter, and a very useful man, desiring him to return, with a promise of pardon from the captain:  In this affair I was obliged to act very secretly.  To-day, Mr Cozens, the midshipman, had a dispute with the surgeon; the latter having some business in our tent, which, when he had done, on his going away, Mr Cozens followed him; they soon fell to blows, but the surgeon had so much the advantage of the midshipman, that he tied his hands behind him and left him.  In the evening the captain sent for me and the carpenter to his tent:  We found the captain, lieutenant, purser, surgeon, and lieutenant H——­n of marines.  Here we had a consultation, which was chiefly concerning the disturbances among the people, as well in our tent as in the rest.  Mr Cummins and I assured the captain, that the people in our tent were generally very well affected to him, and that we never would engage in any mutiny against him, or any other officer that would act for the publick good, and his majesty’s service:  The captain said, he had no reason to suspect us, for we were the only two in the ship that he put any trust or confidence in.  Strict orders were given the centinel to keep a good look-out, and have a watchful eye on the provisions.  Notwithstanding all this precaution and care, there was one-third part of a barrel of flour and half a barrel of gunpowder taken away that night.  It is to be observed, that this day’s consultation was the first that Captain C——­p ever had with his officers; had he sometimes consulted them aboard, we might probably have escaped our present unhappy condition.