{"id":"01KG8AMET99RMP9V3Z7V983RBR","cid":"bafkreib45zre6vvbz2evd4zk7c2kmqkonqy2hugfhye5ivmrbos54b2xei","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":13749,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:36.278Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG89J19NC56FFGBCM2SWEZZY","start_line":13679,"text":"Twenty-four hours after—at the next evening quarters—the Captain’s eye\r\nwas observed to wander along the men at their guns—not a beard was\r\nshaven!\r\n\r\nWhen the drum beat the retreat, the Boatswain—now attended by all four\r\nof his mates, to give additional solemnity to the announcement—repeated\r\nthe previous day’s order, and concluded by saying, that twenty-four\r\nhours would be given for all to acquiesce.\r\n\r\nBut the second day passed, and at quarters, untouched, every beard\r\nbristled on its chin. Forthwith Captain Claret summoned the midshipmen,\r\nwho, receiving his orders, hurried to the various divisions of the\r\nguns, and communicated them to the Lieutenants respectively stationed\r\nover divisions.\r\n\r\nThe officer commanding mine turned upon us, and said, “Men, if tomorrow\r\nnight I find any of you with long hair, or whiskers of a standard\r\nviolating the Navy regulations, the names of such offenders shall be\r\nput down on the report.”\r\n\r\nThe affair had now assumed a most serious aspect. The Captain was in\r\nearnest. The excitement increased ten-fold; and a great many of the\r\nolder seamen, exasperated to the uttermost, talked about _knocking of\r\nduty_ till the obnoxious mandate was revoked. I thought it impossible\r\nthat they would seriously think of such a folly; but there is no\r\nknowing what man-of-war’s-men will sometimes do, under\r\nprovocation—witness Parker and the Nore.\r\n\r\nThat same night, when the first watch was set, the men in a body drove\r\nthe two boatswain’s mates from their stations at the fore and main\r\nhatchways, and unshipped the ladders; thus cutting off all\r\ncommunication between the gun and spar decks, forward of the main-mast.\r\n\r\nMad Jack had the trumpet; and no sooner was this incipient mutiny\r\nreported to him, than he jumped right down among the mob, and\r\nfearlessly mingling with them, exclaimed, “What do you mean, men? don’t\r\nbe fools! This is no way to get what you want. Turn to, my lads, turn\r\nto! Boatswain’s mate, ship that ladder! So! up you tumble, now, my\r\nhearties! away you go!”\r\n\r\nHis gallant, off-handed, confident manner, recognising no attempt at\r\nmutiny, operated upon the sailors like magic.\r\n\r\nThey _tumbled up_, as commanded; and for the rest of that night\r\ncontented themselves with privately fulminating their displeasure\r\nagainst the Captain, and publicly emblazoning every anchor-button on\r\nthe coat of admired Mad jack.\r\n\r\nCaptain Claret happened to be taking a nap in his cabin at the moment\r\nof the disturbance; and it was quelled so soon that he knew nothing of\r\nit till it was officially reported to him. It was afterward rumoured\r\nthrough the ship that he reprimanded Mad Jack for acting as he did. He\r\nmaintained that he should at once have summoned the marines, and\r\ncharged upon the “mutineers.” But if the sayings imputed to the Captain\r\nwere true, he nevertheless refrained from subsequently noticing the\r\ndisturbance, or attempting to seek out and punish the ringleaders. This\r\nwas but wise; for there are times when even the most potent governor\r\nmust wink at transgression in order to preserve the laws inviolate for\r\nthe future. And great care is to be taken, by timely management, to\r\navert an incontestable act of mutiny, and so prevent men from being\r\nroused, by their own consciousness of transgression, into all the fury\r\nof an unbounded insurrection. _Then_ for the time, both soldiers and\r\nsailors are irresistible; as even the valour of Caesar was made to\r\nknow, and the prudence of Germanicus, when their legions rebelled. And\r\nnot all the concessions of Earl Spencer, as First lord of the\r\nAdmiralty, nor the threats and entreaties of Lord Bridport, the Admiral\r\nof the Fleet—no, nor his gracious Majesty’s plenary pardon in\r\nprospective, could prevail upon the Spithead mutineers (when at last\r\nfairly lashed up to the mark) to succumb, until deserted by their own\r\nmess-mates, and a handful was left in the breach.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJVX0DG3QG3ASDM4V0FBS","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J19NC56FFGBCM2SWEZZY","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AMETERQMA2Q7ZNFWJCC05","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AMETE9E439DPCDMM092Z6","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:37.705Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:55.122Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}