Sir Roger Curtis, with nine sail of the line, proceeded upon that service.

On the 15th of April Lord Bridport, to whom Lord Howe had just resigned the command of the Channel fleet, and who was then with the fleet at Spithead, threw out the signal to prepare for sea ; when, instead of weighing the anchor, the seamen of the Royal-George ran up the shrouds and gave three cheers: a proceeding which, from the awful responses it produced through the fleet, at once betrayed it as the signal of disaffection. The captains and officers of the different ships were astonished, nay, almost astounded, at this sudden act of disobedience, and, as may be supposed, did their utmost to persuade the men to return to their duty ; but all their efforts were vain. The spirit of mutiny had taken deep root in the breasts of the seamen, and, from the apparent organization of the plan, seemed to be the result of far more reflection than for which the wayward mind of a jack-tar is usually given credit. The subject is a melancholy one, and one which we would fain pass over ; but historical impartiality forbids any such fastidiousness. At the same time, the subject not being an international one, nor one of which the details have acquired any permanent interest, we may, consistently with our plan, abridge the account.

It appears that, in the latter end of February, Lord Howe, while on shore indisposed, received sundry petitions, as from the seamen at Portsmouth, all praying for an advance of wages ; but that, none of the petitions being signed, and all dated and, with the exception of four or five, written by one hand, no notice was taken of them. Lord Howe subsequently directed Rear-admiral Lord Hugh Seymour to ascertain whether or not any discontent did really exist in the fleet. The reply was so favourable, that his lordship considered the whole plot as the work of some incendiary, and, towards the end of March, sent the different petitions to the first lord of the admiralty, Earl Spencer. The seamen, not aware that the papers they had transmitted were looked upon as forgeries, could only attribute the silence of Lord Howe to a disregard of their complaints. In this state were matters, on the fleet's refusal to obey Lord Bridport's signal to prepare for sea.

On the next day, April 16, the respective ships' companies appointed two of their number to act as delegates ; and the place selected for their deliberations was the state, or flag-officer's cabin of the Queen-Charlotte. On the 17th every man in the fleet was sworn to support the cause in which he had embarked. Ropes were then reeved, in terrorem, at the fore yard-arms of each ship : and the seamen ordered on shore such of the officers as, in their opinion, had been guilty of oppression. On the same day the delegates, 32 in number, drew up and signed two petitions, one to the parliament, the other to the admiralty. Both petitions were couched in respectful language. That to the

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