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put it in or else go to prison. So go forward and tell the
rest of the crew what I said. So my mate and me came
forward. But before we let any of the other hands know how
we succeeded, I proposed that we should go aft again and
ask if he will kindly pay us off on half pay as that would be
better than nothing, as if we bolted we might stand a chance
of getting three months. Anyhow aft we goes and called the steweard
and told him we wanted to see the captain once more. So of
course we was prepared to stand a bit of abuse so out he came
and wanted to know what was wanted this time. And we
told him that we was willing to forfeit half our wages
if he would pay us of with the other half. And he asked us if
we was speaking for all hands forward. And we told him
we was. All right he says. I will pay all hands off in the morn-
ing. so you can go forward and tell the rest of the crew. So
I can assure you we got no abuse from him as we expected
and he was just quiet civil. and as quiet as a lamb.
So when the rest of the crew got the news about the halfpay
they were simply delighted, and all hands commenced to
pack up all their belongings, ready for the morning to go
to the shipping office. The [?very] officers packed up also. As every
seemed to be heart sick of her. Anyhow when the morning came
we had our breakfast, then of for the shipping office, and the captain
came and paid us all on halfpay. Well now the captain thought
he was doing a favour to the owner, by paying us on halfpay
But instead of that he got discharged himself for doing such a
thing. So the old ship was cleaned out port and aft so the owner
shipped a new captain, officers and crew on a nine months
articles, as in those days they could nearly do as they pleased
as far as running old traps like those. Anyhow she was
towed from her anchorage under the cranes and moored
to the wharf by her new crew and was loaded to the scuppers
with coals and sailed for Dunedin and never was heard
of any more as she had gone down with all hands
and my mate and me jut thought it was a Gods
Blessing that we got out of her in time, and there was