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On Thursday morning, the 12th instant, the English schooner Amelia, of Glasgow, arrived at this port, in distress, part of her crew having mutinied and murdered the captain, supercargo, first and second officers. The particulars of this tragic occurrence are, as near as we have been able to gather them, as follows:-
The Amelia left Mazatlan on the 9th of September, [1848], and the coast on the 19th, with a cargo of 300,000 dollars in specie, bound for China. Mr. Cook and lady, and Mary Hudson, a serving maid, passengers. On the night of the 3rd of October, in the middle watch, three of the crew attacked the second mate and killed him. The captain and Mr. Cook, hearing the noise, came on deck. One of the ruffians was stationed at the forecastle hatch to prevent the watch below from coming up, and the other two attacked the captain and Mr. Cook, killing the latter and badly wounding the former. The captain succeeding in getting down into the cabin, and having procured a cutlass, was again going on deck, when he was stabbed in the neck, and fell back a lifeless corpse. The ladies, affrighted at the noise and groans of the murdered, were ordered to their state-rooms, the mate was secured in his, and the murderers took possession of the cabin, and shaped their course for the coast of Peru.
On the following morning, the mate was told that he could have the boat, and provisions, if he chose to leave the vessel and take the ladies with him. Under pretence of lowering the boat they induced him to go on deck; when they fell upon him, and having wounded him badly, threw him overboard, they then threw all the letters and papers overboard, and getting out a large quantity of gold, divided it among the crew, compelling all of them, at the peril of their lives, to take a share of the money ; and then calling for wine, commenced gambling. For two days they held undisputed possession, compelling the ladies to sit at table with them, and threatening them with death if they did not comply. It is more easy to imagine than describe their feelings. No ray of hope beamed on the future; but thanks to kind Providence deliverance was at hand. On the night of the 5th October, the murderers having drank freely, the remainder of the crew planned to deliver themselves and the ladies from the hands of the mutineers.
About one o'clock, one of the crew, John Smith, a native of Rotterdam, killed two of the murderers with an axe, and struck the third, cutting off his arm, and with the assistance of the carpenter and cabin boy, threw him overboard. Finding it impracticable to go to Mazatlan, the vessel's course was shaped for the islands. The following is a list of those who were killed by the mutineers :-
Mr. Cook, for some years a resident of Mazatlan, Captain Robert L. M'Nally, of Dublin, Ramon Alva and Citano. The three mutineers were Mexicans. Three natives of the coast have been placed in confinement for the purpose of examination. It is thought that none of the crew except the three who were killed were aware of the plot. The youth. who so nobly rescued the lives of those on board by that of the villains in whose hands they were, is deserving of lasting gratitude.
The following is a list of those who were concerned in the plan to deliver the vessel from the mutineers: John Smith of Rotterdam, John Berringer, of Bordeaux ; Thomas Gannon, of London ; Charles M'Donald, and Frank a Swede. Terrible as was the result, there is reason to rejoice that the farther sacrifice of life was spared by the heroic conduct of the crew. We trust those who have acted so nobly will not go unrewarded. The specie has been removed from the vessel to the vaults of the Treasury, by order of the Consul-General. Mrs. Cook and servant are residing on shore.-Polynesian, October 14.
SG & SGTL ; Vol 5 ; pages 311-2.
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