some speculations into which he was drawn,
he applied himself to that last refuge of the
intelligent destitute -- the business of a school-
master -- the profits of which were never
adequate to support his large family in decency.
In emergencies he had been in the habit
of applying to his brother -- a wealthy
member of one of the learned professions --
who occasionally assisted him. On his
last application for an advance of five
pounds, the brother was unfortunately absent
from England; and Stoven, goaded by
the sufferings of his family, unhappily
conceived the idea of forging his brother's
acceptance for the amount of which he had
asked the loan; intending, as he assured me,
to acquaint his brother of it, persuading himself
that he would forgive him and provide
for the payment, if he should himself be
unable to do so. His moderation, however, was
his destruction; for the bill fell into the
hands of a gentleman who knew his brother,
and expressed his surprise at seeing an acceptance
of his in circulation for so insignificant
a sum. The brother naturally denied having
put his name to any such bill. Inquiries
were made, and he was compelled to give
evidence against his own brother, to consign
him to convict infamy, and, as it proved, to
death. He died a victim to the privations
and misery of the voyage.

Then we had one of the Rebeccaites. He
had been a small farmer in South Wales, and
had taken a prominent part in the practical
resistance to the turnpike extortion; against
which he and his neighbours had petitioned
and protested in vain. It has been said that
a man cannot unknowingly commit a crime.
In a moral sense, at least, this is true; and
Morgan, so far from being cognisant of crime,
I have no doubt, firmly believed he was
discharging his duty to himself and his
neighbours. Throughout the voyage, and
subsequently in Norfolk Island, the conduct of this
man -- and of some others of his countrymen
(with the exception of one man, a desperate
ruffian), who, for a similar offence, were suffering
with him -- was sufficient to show that they
were the unlikeliest of men to be guilty of a
moral crime. Dick Pearson, poor Stoven, and
Morgan, who may be considered as types of
classes aboard, were all members of one
mess, enduring the same sufferings (if Dick,
hardened as he was, suffered at all), and all
with the same sentence of seven years
transportation.

Considering our miserable plight as to
clothing, food, and everything else, it might
be supposed that the thievish propensities of
the men must, perforce, have remained in
abeyance. Not a day or night, however,
passed without some robbery. The worst of
them seemed to take a delight in " keeping
their hands in," no matter how contemptible
the prize might be. Knives being forbidden,
fragments of tin plates, to serve roughly the
purpose of cutting, were eagerly sought for.

As I have mentioned, a tin pint pot was
delivered to every prisoner at the commencement
of the voyage, which served to receive
his cocoa, as well as his pea-soup. I had not been
at sea a couple of days when I found that mine
had been changed. But, as they were scarcely
distinguishable one from the other, I gave the
new-comer a thorough cleaning, and adopted it
in lieu of my own. The very next day, however,
a man sidled up to my mess, and suddenly
clapping his hand upon the pot, exclaimed,
"Halloa! what are you a-doing with my tin
pot? " " How do you know it is yours ?"
I inquired. "There's my mark at the side,"
he replied, " and there should be a round O
at the bottom." I turned it up; and, seeing
the mark of identity referred to, felt bound
to surrender it. The pot was received with
an appearance of indignation, and I was
treated as if I had attempted to do a dirty
trick, and advised "not to try that game
on again." My messmates chuckled at the
scene; and it was subsequently explained
to me that this trick of exchanging was a
common trick amongst prisoners. I suffered
much inconvenience in consequence
for several days; and, for want of my pot to
receive them, was deprived of my rations of
cocoa, tea and soup. At length I got another;
for, happening to mention the trick which had
been played me to one of the prisoners, a
rough fellow with a most ferocious cast of
countenance, he insisted upon my taking his,
saying he would try to get the use of his
messmates', and reminding me that I had
written a letter for him at Woolwich -- a
circumstance which it is not remarkable that I
had forgotten, as I had written at least fifty,
while in the river. I had, indeed, frequent
proofs that a kindness is sometimes long
remembered, and often gratefully requited, by
even the worst of criminals.

Towards the end of our voyage, and when
about three hundred miles from Norfolk
Island, we encountered a terrific storm. The
Pacific is like Othello's mind, "not easily
moved; but, being wrought, vexed in the
extreme." For two or three days, it had
presented an appearance little in accordance
with its name; and, on this night, the storm
increased to a hurricane. During the whole
night the hatches were fastened down, and
we could do nothing but lie and listen to the
frequent breaking and long roll of the thunder,
the rushing of water over the decks, and the
terrific howling of the wind in the rigging.
Nothing could be more helpless than our
condition in the event of any disaster to the
ship. A compact mass of human life closed;
fastened down; the narrow outlet strongly
barred. We were perfectly helpless. We could
hear the din of the sailors running to and
fro; and in the intervals of the thunder,
their responsive " Aye, aye, Sir," to the orders
of their captain. At every plunge of the
vessel, all seemed to wait in breathless
expectation that it was about to founder; but