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Saturday July 5th 1862
AM N.W. Fresh - Fog
M. N.W. Light Cloudy - No ☉
PM S.E. Fresh - Thick, low clouds
This day one of events - al[[strikethrough]] l [[/strikethrough]] most a Chapter of this history of the "George Henry's" present voyage!
This morning in the officers tent a consultation was held, myself present - the request made by Mate Rogers that 3 Boat Steerers refused to respond to his orders to join the crew to go out cruising for Whales. - this number added to the number of the men who refused to obey orders made the case a bad one. Finally Mate Lamb proposed that the officers should proceede to the tent of the men call them out & let each man take his position on one side or the other - one side showing that he or they would obey orders - the other he [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] or they refused. As Mate Rogers & the other officers desired that I should accompany them & witness [[strikethrough]] that [[/strikethrough]] the execution of this proposition wh. appeared to me a good one I done so. Rogers, Gardiner, Lamb & Robt. Smith were the officers who proceeded in Co to perform this work. Arriving at the tent of the men Mate R. called them out & told the men that such as were determined not to obey orders to ^[[take their]] stand there (indicating the spot) & those who were willing to obey as orders to take their position opposite. Sad as is the record have it is [[strikethrough]] Seven Men [[/strikethrough]] [[underlined]] Eight men out of 13 took the side refusing duty. [[/underlined]] Prominent among the men who took the place of men guilty of Mutiny were Richard Comstock
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1862
July
5th
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& Connolly. If I were asked who were the leading ones I should answer Comstock & Connolly - & [[underlined]] the leading one Comstock. [[/underlined]] One young man (of the number the men who have determined not to obey this order of their officers) I treated by the evil companions he was led to join was he induced to take the lamentable side he did. He ("Blossom") was the last that came out of the tent. He was pale & seemed greatly frightened - He said, mechanically 'Well I suppose I must go with the majority' taking his stand among the rebellious company. After this division had been made the number ^[[& names]] on each side noted, [[strikethrough]] when [[/strikethrough]] when all were about separating I felt that the occasion should not be passed sho^[[r]]t of giving vent to my feelings. Therefore in the presence of the officers & men proceeded to address the eight who had taken such a defiant insubordinate stand. I spoke only prudent words - such as a heart anxious ^[[to save]] his brother man from that position wh. would only bring shame & disgrace upon [[strikethrough]] them [[/strikethrough]] him. I cannot stop on account of want of space on paper to give record of all I said [[strikethrough]] suf [[/strikethrough]] suffice it that I appealed to them in the name of Mrsrs. Williams & Haven - in the name of Capt. B. - ^[[in the names of]] of their friends - in the name of the Country from wh the "George Henry" sailed to retract[[guess]] the bold & disgraceful stand they now took. I told them they had passed the Winter of trials - that they were now all in the enjoyment of health & strength & [[underlined]] in a land of plenty [[/underlined]] [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] that from all the evidence, there were ^[[now]] whales [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] in this Bay & all that remained for them to do was to [[strikethrough]] take [[/strikethrough]] hold & perform their duties the the best of their abilities