In , the Gambia Castle came safe to her port in Africa, and landed Captain Massey and his men on James’ Island, where he was to command under the governor, Colonel Whitney, who arrived there at the same time, in another ship: and here, by a fatal misunderstanding, between the military folks and the trading people, the fort and garrison not only came to be lost again to the company, but a fine galley well provided, and worth 10,000 £ turned against her masters.
The names of governor and captain sounded great, but when the gentlemen found that the power that generally goes along with those titles, was oversway’d and born down by the merchants and factors, (mechanic fellows as they thought them) they grew very impatient and disatisfy’d, especially Massey, who was very loud in his complaints against them, particularly at the small allowance of provisions to him and his men; for the garrison and governor too, were victualled by the merchants, which was no small grievance and mortification to them. And as the want of eating was the only thing that made the great Sancho quit his government, so did it here rend and tear theirs to pieces: for Massey told them, that he did not come there to be a Guinea slave, and that he had promised his men good treatment, and provisions fitting for soldiers: that as he had the care of so many of His Majesty’s subjects, if they would not provide for them in a handsome manner, he should take suitable measures for the preservation of so many of his countrymen and companions.
The governor at this time was very ill of a fever, and, for the better accommodation in his sickness, was carried aboard the ship Gambia Castle, where he continued for about three weeks, and therefore could have little to say in this dispute, though he resolved not to stay in a place, where there was so little occasion for him, and where his power was so confin’d. The merchants had certainly orders from the company, to issue the provisions out to the garrison, and the same is done along the whole coast; but whether they had cut them short of the allowance that was appointed them, I can’t say, but if they did, then is the loss of the ship and garrison owing principally to their ill conduct.
However, an accident that happened on board the ship, did not a little contribute to this misfortune, which was a pique that the captain of her took against his second mate, George Lowther, the man who is the subject of this short history; and who losing his favour, found means to ingratiate himself into the good liking of the common sailors, insomuch that when Captain Russel ordered him to be punish’d, the men took up handspikes, and threat’ned to knock that man down, that offered to lay hold of the mate. This served but to widen the differences between him and the captain, and more firmly attach’d Lowther to the ship’s company, the greatest part of which, he found ripe for any mischief in the world.
Captain Massey was no wit the better reconciled to the place, by a longer continuance, nor to the usage he met with there, and having often opportunities of conversing with Lowther, with whom he had contracted an intimacy in the voyage; they aggravated one another’s grievances to such a height, that they resolved upon measures to curb the power that control’d them, and to provide for themselves after another manner.
When the Governor recover’d of his fever, he went ashore to the island, but took no notice of Massey’s behaviour, though it was such as might give suspicion of what he designed; and Lowther, and the common sailors, who were in the secret of affairs, grew insolent and bold, even refusing to obey when commanded to their duty by Captain Russel and the chief mate. The captain seeing how things were carried, goes ashore early one morning to the Governor and factory, in order to hold a council, which Lowther apprehending, was in order to prevent his design, sent a letter in the same boat to Massey, intimating it to him, and that he should repair on board, for it was high time to put their project in execution.
As soon as Massey received this letter, he went to the soldiers at the barracks, and said to them, and others, you that have a mind to go to England, now is your time; and they generally consenting, Massey went to the storeroom, burst open the door, set two sentinels upon it, and ordered that nobody should come near it; then he went to the governor’s apartment, and took his bed, baggage, plate and furniture, (in expectation that the Governor himself, as he had promised Massey, would have gone on board, which he afterwards refused, by reason, as he said, he believed they were going a-pirating; which at first, whatever Lowther designed, Massey certainly proposed only the going to England;) when this was done, he sent the boat off to the chief mate, with this message, that he should get the guns ready, for that the King of Barro [a Negro kingdom near the Royal African settlement] would come aboard to dinner. But Lowther understanding best, the meaning of those orders, he confined the chief mate, shotted the guns, and put the ship in a condition for sailing. In the afternoon Massey came on board with the Governor’s son,
