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62 THE NAVAL MUTINIES OF 1797
As the boats drew up to the Marlborough the excitement
on the London grew very strong, and the seamen, against
the Admiral's orders, " began to make a stir and showed
a disposition for coming up." The officers who were
standing at the hatchways held them back. But the
seamen were equal to the occasion. They dragged in
the middle-deck guns, and pointed them up the hatchways.
The officers called to Colpoys, asking whether
they should fire, and he answered, " Yes, certainly; they
must not be allowed to come up until I order them."
There was a rush up the hatchways ; some of the officers
fired, and some of the men fired back. The marines, who
had given Colpoys to understand that they would support
him, began to throw down their arms and join the
seamen. Only two of them—both foreigners—remained
loyal, and they were taken off to the quarter-deck by the
officers. 1 When Colpoys saw that the marines were
deserting, he realized that more resistance would simply
lead to useless waste of lives, and that the officers must
soon be overpowered. He ordered them to cease firing
and retire to the quarter-deck, and he called to the seamen
to come aft. They were now crowding on deck. Some
of them ran towards the quarter-deck crying, " Blood for
blood," and, seizing muskets, levelled them at the
officers; but others, whose judgement was sounder, with
"creditable forbearance" prevented them from firing. 2
The first lieutenant, Peter Bover, had been conspicuous
in the struggle at the hatchways, and apparently had
mortally wounded one of the delegates on the London. 3
He was seized and dragged to the forecastle in the
middle of a great crowd of angry seamen. A yard rope
was reeved, and already the noose was round Bover's
neck, when Smith, the ship's surgeon, who was very
1. Le.tter to Sir T. B. Martin, p. 32.
2. Ibid.
3. It is certain that one of the wounded seamen was a delegate, for
John Fleming was appointed the next day in this man's place. See
below, p. 65.