The Crew’s Grievance seem’d, in the Main, to be Whitehead’s Denial of a Trial to Llewelyn, for they knew he must be punish’d, but they felt all Trueborn Englishmen were entitl’d at least to a Trial by Jury, howsoe’er abridged and unfair it must necessarily be with Captain Whitehead acting as Judge.What, then, kept the Men from avenging Llewelyn’s Torture—or indeed from dispatching him more speedily into the Drink? The Knowledge of how severe the Captain would surely be with ’em. For Whitehead was known for unspeakable Cruelties—such as forcing Men to swallow live Cockroaches, stuffing Oakum in their Mouths and setting it aflame, flogging and keel-hauling ’em within an Inch of their Lives, and making very free with his Supplejack e’en for minor Infringements. One Tar had been flogg’d no less than fifty Times for taking one Swallow of Water above his Ration, the Cook who brought our Mess inform’d us; therefore, the Men were attempting to close their Ears to the Ravings of poor Llewelyn upon Deck, tho’ it hurt ’em sorely to do so.
