He sat bent and drawn upward, and
had evidently been severely hurt, and was not yet fit to be out of bed.
He had some brandy-and-water to enable him to sustain himself. He gave
his evidence very clearly, beginning (sailor-like) with telling in what
quarter the wind was at the time of the assault, and which sail was taken
in. His testimony bore on one man only, at whom he cast a vindictive
look; but I think he told the truth as far as he knew and remembered it.
Of the prisoners the second mate was a mere youth, with long sandy hair,
and an intelligent and not unprepossessing face, dressed as neatly as a
three or four weeks' captive, with small, or no means, could well allow,
in a frock-coat, and with clean linen,--the only linen or cotton shirt in
the company. The other four were rude, brutish sailors, in flannel or
red-baize shirts. Three of them appeared to give themselves little
concern; but the fourth, a red-haired and red-bearded man,--Paraman, by
name,--evidently felt the pressure of the case upon himself. He was the
one whom the mate swore to have given him the first blow; and there was
other evidence of his having been stabbed with a knife. The captain of
the ship, the pilot, the cook, and the steward, all gave their evidence;
and the general bearing of it was, that the chief mate had a devilish
temper, and had misused the second mate and crew,--that the four seamen
had attacked him, and that Paraman had stabbed him; while all but the
steward concurred in saying that the second mate had taken no part in the
affray.
Pages:
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86