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RESULTS OF THE MUTINIES 253
from Spithead ; the Grampus, which had been through
the Nore mutiny, spread the disaffection in the West
Indies; Admiral Pringle believed that the disorders at
the Cape were due to the example of the Channel fleet,
and there is strong evidence to support his opinion. In
the Mediterranean fleet there were many seamen who had
taken part in the great mutinies : a month before the
earlier outbreak the first news, had arrived from Spithead,
and in the meantime several ships from the home fleets,
including the London and the Marlborough, had joined
Jervis's squadron. In almost every case the grievances
were the bad quality of the food, and ill-treatment by the
officers. We may assume, therefore, that these later
mutinies were only due to the knowledge that the seamen
of one fleet had been able to improve their condition, and
the hope that similar benefits — particularly the removal of
unpopular officers—might be secured in other fleets, by
the method which had been adopted at Spithead. The
success of the Channel fleet seemed to have disclosed a
rapid way of reform, and when once the example was set,
there were men who were anxious to apply the method.
The wide extent of the troubles shows that the grievances
were felt throughout the navy, but the very great decline
in the mutinous movement after its first outburst in 1797
shows that most of the grievances had been removed.
The mutinies of 1797, in fact, had begun with a sudden
stroke a movement which continued steadily throughout
the nineteenth century. They drew public attention to
the bad conditions of life in the navy, and they produced
at once a number of reforms. These reforms included,
besides the increase of wages and provisions sanctioned
by the Act of 9 May : an allowance of full pay for any
wounded men, or in case of incurable wounds, a pension,
or admission to Greenwich Hospital ; a reduced charge
for the postage of letters ; liberty to go ashore when the
ships were in port; the supply of fresh flour and
vegetables, and a general improvement in the dietary and