and on the coast of France, having occasionally a small squadron of frigates under his orders.
In May, 1797, when a most dangerous mutiny broke out among the crews of the ships composing the North Sea fleet, the Clyde happened to be refitting at the Little Nore, notwithstanding which, and the circumstance of his being nominally under the influence of the mutineers, he had the good fortune never to be entirely dispossessed of his command, or to receive the least insult from his men, but on the contrary, at length succeeded by his conduct in detaching them from the contagion, which he effected in the following manner:–
On the 29th May, seventeen days after the first symptoms of mutiny had appeared on board the Sandwich and other ships at the Great Nore, Captain Cunningham gave orders that the signal from Parker, the rebel chief, for all delegates to repair to him, should not be answered by the Clyde, as was done on board the other ships. Her fore-sail being unbent at the time, and it being known that she was unprovided with a pilot, the rest of the fleet did not suspect that this was the prelude to her secession from their cause. At 9 P.M., Captain Cunningham assembled his crew, and made known to them his intention of working the ship into Sheerness harbour in the course of that night; intimating likewise that the St. Fiorenzo frigate would make her escape at the same tune. Soon after mid-night the cables were slipped, and by sun-rise on the morning of the 30th, the Clyde was safely anchored in the harbour, thus giving the first blow to a most diabolical conspiracy, which, while it lasted, was terrifying to the whole country, and, but for the promptitude and activity displayed by Captain Cunningham, his officers, and loyal crew, might have spread into a serious extent of mischief to the state[1].
On the return of the other ships to their duty, Captain Cunningham was ordered to Elsincur, for the purpose of convoying home a rich fleet of merchantmen, which, owing to the late unhappy events, had been detained in the Sound.
- ↑ Captains Cunningham and Neale were the only officers of their rank who remained on board, and had any influence over their ships’ companies. See Vol. I. p. 434. The notorious Parker once went on board the Clyde, and endeavoured to prevail on her crew to take her up against Tilbury fort; but this Captain Cunningham had the address to prevent.
Errata, p. 79, line 10 from the bottom, for shots read shot; p. 80, line 14 from the top, for at one of the theatres read at the Weymouth theatre.
