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223
MAY, 1902.]
THE WRECK OF THE "DODDINGTON," 1755.
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Respects, and Should Entirely Rely on my Superiour Judgement to gett them of this dismall Place, being Informed by Those who went to look Round and Returns in a few Minutes that We Were on an Island 2 Leagues from the Main. I told them they Might depend on my Assistance in all Respects and that there was No Time to be lost, Our Situation Requiring us to be dilligent in Looking About for provissions &c, for Subsistance during our Stay here, which I Thought would be a Month at Least, before Every Body Would be Able to Travel. Accordingly, Sett Out and Soon Found Several Usefull Things As Inserted in my Journal, but before Night Most of Those that was Able to Work was Drunk and Rosenburry So Bad that had I not Accidentally Seen him Lying Amongst the Wreck And Call for Assistence to gett him up he must Infallibley have been drowned, the Side having Flowe'd Over part of him when we got him up, for Which Piece of Service before we Left the Island he as Often Came Close to me and Laughed in my face by way of Derision, knowing very Well I durst Not Correct him, all the Villains having Taken Theire Oaths to Stand by One Another in Opposition to the Officers, And if Either of us Offer to Strike any of them, three or 4 Was to Fall on him and Beat him heartily.
Howsoever before it Came to the pass, they Obeyd me for a fortnight, by which time their was Some prospect of the Boats Going One, the keel and Steem being Finished; but before any more was done the Carpenter fell Sick, but by his Discourse as I found Soon Afterwards, only feiguḍ himself So, for Missing him from Work, Enquired after him, And was Informe'd he was Not well. Upon Wob Information Mr Collett & Self went to Condole with him, we found him in the Cooks Tent Broiling himself a Rasher of Salt pork. I Aske'd him how he did, adding I was Sorry for his Indisposition, hopeing he would Soon be better. Yes Ansiwer he that May be for Your Own Good; but I Can See how Things are Going. Your 34 in Counsell Mr Bothwell Can be Attended On, but I may Die and be damnd before You! Offer mulls Wine or any Thing Else, to me; but Damn Me If I bee Used so. I Can See well Enough Which Way things Are going, but I be damn if I have not a Fair Understanding before I do a St[r]oke More. Here I Interrupted him, and Told Him I thought he had gone far Enough, till he Explained himself; That I did not Understand What he Meant by Saying, he Saw how Things go. I then Asked him if he Saw Any Clandestine proceedings by Any of the Officers or any Body Else; to Which he Answerd No, that if he did that we Should Soon know it, for Damn me if Ill be flung By the Best of You. I answerd in my Turn, that believd no Body Intended to fling him as he Calle'd it; therefore was Sorry to See him prejudiced Against Mr Collett & Self, because we Assisted a Sick person; Adding that As Soon As we heard of his being Out of Order, Came to Condole with him, And he Should find Either of us Very Ready to do any Thing Conducive to his Health & hoped that his present disorder was Only a Cold, Which a Little hot Wine going to Bedd would Carry off. To this he Answered in the Surly Manner as before, Saying he would have a fair Understanding before he Would do a Stroke More. Upon Which Mr Collett & I left him, and Walked togeather to Try if we Could guess The Reason of Such Behaviour and the Only Conjectures we Could putt on it Was his Incapacity to Build the Boat, and Some Time Afterwards, found we Were quit Right in Our Opinion, for he did not know how the Transum peice of the Searn (sio) was to be Fixt. He Continued Sulkey 2 days & the 3d day, went to Work Again, Which I was Very Glad to See Making no doubt if he Would Work that We Should compleat One to Serve Our Turns.
Soon after this Danll Ladoux who was Capts Steward on Board the Doddington Occationed fresh disputes, by Insisting upon keeping what Pork he or his Mess Mates Pick up to themselve's, Which was Contrary To my Orders; and the day this dispute Arose Upon, he had Given Orders to the Cook Not to dress pork for two of the Matrosses, Who was at Work with me, all the Morning on the Wreck, because they had not Brought any for Themselves. The Cook Obey'd his Orders, so that When we was Call'd to dinner, the 2 beforementioned had Nothing to Eat; therefore Made their Complaint to Me; at the Same time Inform'd Me how it happen'd Upon which I Took Ladoux to Taske, Asking him by What Authority, he Order'd no Victuals to be dress for the two men. He
Head-lines in MS, from this point onwards, "Behaviour of the People on Bird Island."
