The mutiny at Cadiz CHAPTER XIII. Mr. Pitt's motion in Parliament: the question not clearly understood, nor fairly stated— Mr. Giffard's error on the subject of biscuit The affair of the Kingsfisher in the TagusConduct of John Maitland- Remarks-The first symptoms of mutiny in the fleet before Cadiz - Conduct of Captain Dacres, of the Barfleur of Lord St. Vincent -- Affair of the St. George, Peard, and Hatley Fidelity of the marines - Court-martial-Speech of Lord St. Vincent to the mutineers - His promptitude in carrying the sentence into effect Divine service, execution, and action with the enemy Order to Sir William Parker. Letter to Lady Spencer -Origin of the dispute with Sir John Orde― Capture of the Prince George's launch - Skirmish with the Spanish gun-boats — Unfortunate results-General order - Ill-advised proceeding of Sir John Orde. -- As I have given already, in the Naval History of Great Britain, a full account of the mutiny off Cadiz, I shall not have occasion to repeat much of that event in the present work; but there are a few supplemental observations, which will be necessary to show the harmony which existed between Mr. Pitt, at that time his Majesty's prime minister, and Sir John Jervis, whose fleet had, while cruizing before Cadiz, received the fatal contagion from home. In Mr. Pitt moved in Parliament, in June, 1797, for leave to bring in a bill for the better prevention and punishment of all traitorous attempts to excite sedition and mutiny in his Majesty's naval service. He entered into some details, in order to prove the existence of a settled design to spread disaffection and disorganization into our fleets and armies. In this he was fully borne out by the facts, as.I shall have occasion to show very shortly. the mean time, it will be right to repeat, not in vindication of mutiny, but as an act of substantial justice to the sailors, that they had not been fairly dealt by; if they had, sedition and rebellion would have found no countenance among them. The proof of this is to be found in their immediate and cheerful return to their duty, the moment the demands of the Channel fleet were complied with, and the feeling manner in which they behaved to their officers during the whole of the period of excitement. It was an error common among many wellinformed men of that day, to suppose that the sailors had no real or just cause of complaint, inasmuch as, after they had obtained their demands of an increased allowance of provisions, biscuit was thrown overboard from the ships of war. It was thence inferred, that the sailors had more than they could eat. Mr. Giffard repeats this error, on the authority" of an old Post Captain." - (See Life of Pitt, vol. v., p. 159). But the old Post Captain must have made little use of his eyes, if he had not seen biscuit going astern, when he was a little midshipman, watching the gulls from the tafrail. I can remember it, from the time I first remember salt water. The fact is, that one of the component parts of sea-biscuit, at that time, was meal ground from peas, and this formed a hard and flinty vein in the bread, which would yield to nothing short of Mr. M'Adam's hammer. The sailors, when they found these pieces of flint in their mouths, always consigned them to the deep; but the savings of their bread, which they did not consume, were carefully preserved, and exchanged with the market-people for vegetables. I never heard of their parting with their meat, or suet, or flour, or butter, or sugar, in the same manner, and I venture respectfully to differ with the highest authority on this subject. Nelson appears to have been of my opinion, and expressed the same to his late Majesty, King William IV., then Duke of Clarence.(Clarke and M'Arthur, 8vo. edit., p. 423). His Royal Highness says, in a letter to Nelson, July 4, 1797, when speaking of the then recent mutiny at Spithead, Plymouth, and the Nore, "But I cannot pass over unnoticed your remarks about short weights and measures. Every officer must know, that by their old allowance the men on board the King's ships had more provisions than they could consume, and that they always sold a part, therefore an increase of provisions was not wanted. I will not hurt your mind by relating the horrid particulars of the late events, but shall conclude the subject by observing, that in your next you will unsay what you have too hastily expressed. I dread nothing, as the government here appear to pursue proper measures, and I am convinced St. Vincent will keep up his fleet in proper discipline. Lenity at first is severity at last." I remember conversing with Lord St. Vincent on this subject. He had received similar information respecting the superabundance of bread allowed to the sailors, and, I believe, really thought they had too much. In this I never could concur with him, as they are accustomed to a much more plentiful, indeed almost unlimited supply, in the merchant's service; and this, together with the liberty to go on shore whenever they can be spared from the duty, makes them prefer the latter to the King's ser vice. The difference of wages is, no doubt, a great object; but that difference is very frequently, unless a man is careful, more apparent than real-the charges and deductions, and prices of articles supplied, such as clothing, tobacco, and spirits, being enormous. The Duke of Clarence and Earl St. Vincent had both derived their information, in all probability, from the same sources, and both were misinformed on this subject. I never could live on the ship's allowance; and I never knew any sailor or marine admit that he had enough to eat, under the old system, though they seldom consumed all their biscuit. One of the earliest and most melancholy instances of mutiny on the Lisbon station, after the general explosion had taken place at home, was on board the Kingsfisher sloop of war, while lying at anchor in the Tagus. Captain John Maitland, who very lately died a rearadmiral, had the command of the vessel, and finding among his crew some very unequivocal symptoms of turbulence, he ordered the hands. to be turned up to weigh the anchor. They refused to obey. He immediately singled out one of the ringleaders, and ordered him to be seized up for punishment; but, when this had been done, one of the petty officers went up de |