Information has been received of an extraordinary mutiny on board the barque Satsuma, William Leslie, master, of Sunderland, bound to the Cape of Good Hope. The mutiny took place on the 29th January, in lat. 31° S.. long. 24° W.
It appears that at 5 o clock on the morning of the day named the steward went up to the second mate and seized him by the shoulders; two of the sailors at the same time came to the assistance of the steward. The mate was thrown on deck; one of the men got on the top of him, another held a pistol to his forehead, and said if he spoke he would blow his brains out. The men then tied the mate's arms and legs, and put him down the after hold.
About the same time, three men rushed into the cabin of the captain, who was asleep. The captain gives the following account of what ensued:— 'One of the men, the instant I raised my head, put a rope with a slip-knot over it, trying to strangle me; another hold a hatchet above me; the third had a revolver pointed at me — all of them looking at me with murder in their eyes. I, with the strength which despair alone gives, sprang from my bed, closed with them, and rushed through them on the way to the fore-cabin, where the mate was asleep, dragging the man after me who had the rope round my neck but did not reach him before my skull was laid open by one or more blows from the hatchet, the blood streaming down my face and blinding; my head reeled, and I felt I could sink on the deck. I reached the mate's berth, who in an instant sprang from his bed and saved me from being killed. Gathering all my strength I rushed from the mate's cabin and up the companion and astoundingly dragged the man (who still kept hold of me) with the rope round my neck on to the poop.
When I got there, I could get no assistance, but shortly afterwards was joined by mate, who was soon overpowered by one of the mutineers, who was a very powerful man. At this time I managed to sever the rope; but from being half-strangled, loss of blood, and suffering from the effects of the blows from the hatchet, I hardly knew what occurred.
All that I can remember there seemed to be revolvers in all directions, for the shots were whizzing round us, and one of them aimed a blow at my head with a handspike, which partly hit me, knocking me down the companion. After that I did not know what took place for some time, thinking all on my side were shot or drowned. Shortly after the mate came to me — who had got clear of them by some means. I was very weak, and sat down in the after cabin, and was guarded from the skylight by one of the mutineers, who had a revolver in his hand. The mate was ordered from me — they at this time having full charge of the ship. The cook— one of them — was sent down to the cabin, and handed up six rifles, under cover of their revolvers. They then looked down the skylight and asked me what boat they should take. After me telling them, they coolly asked if I was much hurt. On my saying that I was, they said they were sorry for it, but if I had kept quiet I should have been all right. They then took the second boat in size, with mast, sail, and six oars, one bag of bread, one breaker of water, wine, whiskey, rum, one cheese, one ham, one logline, a bag of nails, compass, a chart from the mate, pipes, tobacco, matches, some small cordage; also, clothes belonging to other members of the crew.
They then called out for the man Dunn, as they wanted to hang him before leaving. When I heard what was wanted I begged the ringleader (the steward) to spare his life. At this time one of them was in the hold, calling for him to come out, and fired his revolver in the dark several times. He was stowed away under some rope, so could not be found. They then took the rammer belonging to the large gun and spiked the gun. They took a quantity of black paint to disguise the boat, she being painted white and blue. They also cut several of the running ropes, taking saw, chisel, and lifebuoy, the ringleader sitting on and looking down the skylight, with a revolver in his hand, giving his orders in the coolest manner possible.
Shortly after the six left the ship, it being nearly calm, standing to the west, distance from the nearest land 900 miles. Shortly after the mutiny the Satsuma fell in with a German ship, from which three men were obtained to assist in taking the ship to the Cape of Good Hope. The intelligence of the mutiny was received in Melbourne on April 11, and two men, who had been brought to this port sometime before by the Kate Kearney, were arrested on suspicion of being the mutineers. These men, with three others, had been picked up in a boat not far from the spot where the Satsuma was at the time of the mutiny. They gave an account that their ship had foundered, and all hands lost except themselves. Subsequently to their arrival here two of the sailors shipped to Hone Kong, and one to Mauritius. The other two— John Willey alias Weston, and Robert Nelson alias Newton — were arrested by the police. They confessed to having been concerned in the occurrence on board the Satsuma, but said that the captain was always drunk, and ill-treated the men. They have been committed for trial.