As The Company Of The Mercury Seemed Delighted With
This Project, I Augmented Their Complement, Giving Them A Month's
Provisions On Board.
I also lent Captain Hately my pinnace, mounted his
bark with two of our quarter-deck guns, and gave
Him a copy of my
commission, although it was very likely we should have frequent sight of
the Mercury, between our present intended separation, and our intended
rendezvous at the island of Lobos, not above sixty leagues from where we
then were.
When every thing was ready for their departure, Captain Betagh, whose
turn it was to relieve the marine officer in the Mercury, being
unwilling to go, went among our people with a terrified countenance,
saying, that he and those with him in the Mercury were going to be
sacrificed. Hearing this, I addressed my ship's company, telling them I
could not conceive what this pestilent fellow meant by making such an
uproar. I appealed to them all, if it had not been customary to relieve
the officers in this manner, ever since we had this vessel in company,
and asked them if ever they knew me select any man for going upon an
enterprise, and had not, on the contrary, left it always to their own
choice to go on any particular service out of the ship. I then desired
to know who among them were of Betagh's opinion? Upon this, they all
declared with one voice, that they had never entertained any such
opinion; but, on the contrary, that I should always find them obedient
to my commands.
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