| The 25th of July 1848 found the Captain
facing his worst trouble with the ships company. Fifty four men were found
skulking below decks.
The log noted;" At 8.50 am, it being suspected by Lieutenant Heathcote that some of the company were breaking their supplies on the lower deck, mustered at Quarters and examined separately their messes from 1 to 20, enquired into the causes, and found out the preparations of the act and these messes having denied all knowledge or participation in the outrage, the Captain read the Articles of War - 19th, 20th and 21st - to the ships company and made particular enquiries of their Petty Officers and men whether they had any just cause of complaint against himself or any of the officers or if they knew or suspected any of the guilty parties which were involved". |
| Nothing is seen in the logs on the following few days to indicate what happened next. It may have been too dangerous for either side to take any further action. The fact that article 21 was read from the Articles of War, may be significant: articles 19 and 20 being concerned with treachery and mutiny; the 21st being concerned with the quality of the food. |
| The 21st article reads: "If any person in the fleet shall find cause of complaint of the unwholesomeness of the victual, or upon other just ground, he shall quietly make the same known to his superior, or captain, or commander in chief, as the occasion may deserve, that such present remedy may be had as the matter may require; and the said superior, captain, or commander-in-chief, shall, as far as he is able, cause the same to be presently remedied; and no person in the fleet, upon any such or other pretence, shall attempt to stir up any disturbance, upon pain of such punishment, as a court martial shall think fit to inflict, according to the degree of the offence". |