PIRACY.—We stated a few of the particulars of the seizure
of the Cyprus by the convicts on board, when we noticed last week the case of the four pirates who were lately sent home in the Kellie Castle and Charles Grant. On Wednesday, the four fellows were brought up tO Thames Street Office, for the purpose of being confronted with Popjoya the brave little fellow by whose extraordinary exertions the crew and soldiers of the Cyprus were saved from destruction after they were abut. doned. Be instantly recognized them as old acquaintances. "The
first," said he, in answer to the Magistrates question, " is George James Davis ; he was a convict, and before the expiration of his sen- tence, committed a highway robbery in Hobart Town, was tried before Justice Padder, and condemned to die. His sentence was commuted to transportation to Macquarie Harbour. He was very active on the day the brig was seized. The second is Wattie, as we used to call him. His name is William Watts. fle.ran away from the chain gang, and took to the bush. He attempted to stab one man and to shoot another before he
was taken again. The third man we used to call Sandie. I know nothing particular about him. I only knew hire as a convict in Hobart Town. The fourth is John Beveridge. He was also a convict, and tried in Hobart Town for stealing lead from Mr. Peachey, and was sentenced to seven years' hard labour at Macquarie Harbour. He was also on board." " Do you recollect the name of Sandie, as you callhim ; was it Alexan- der Stevenson ?" " Aye, that is the name : he was sometimes called Stevie." " Do you recollect any marks on the persons of the prisoners ?" " I do ; on the very day the brig was seized, a convict, who took like- nesses off, pricked the figure of a female on Davis's arm." " Do you recollect any other marks ?" " Wattie has a scar on his upper lip, and W. W. on his arm."
The account of the mutiny and the escape of Lieutenant Carew and his men, was noticed in the Colonial papers at the time when they hap- pened. Popjoy's account before the Magistrate is curious. In August last rear, he was at Hobart Town, and volunteered to go on board the Cyprus as coxswain. The vessel was under the command of Captain Harris, and the crew consisted of seven men and the steward, about thirty convicts, and twelve soldiers as a guard commanded by Lieutenant Carew, whose wife and three children were also on board. There were three other women (soldiers' wives) in the brig. The ship proceeded as far as Research Bay, where they encountered a gale of wind and lost their anchor and chain cable. They were compelled to put back and procure a new anchor and cable. On the third day after their second departure, they again came to anchor in Research Bay, found the anchor they had previously lost, and watered the ship. In the afternoon, Lieute- nant Carew proposed a fishing-party,and Popjoyvolunteered to accompany him. Dr. Williams, the chief mate, and a soldier also went. They had been fishing half an hour when several musket-shots were heard on board the brig, which they at first thought proceeded from some vessel rounding the point. They immediately left off fishing and rowed to- wards the brig, and on coming alongside saw one of the convicts in his yellow jacket walking the deck as sentry. Lieutenant Carew exclaimed, "Oh, my God ! the convicts have possession of the vessel." He imme- diately jumped into the main chains to go on board ; but the convicts said the ship was theirs, and refused to allow him. One of the muti- neers presented a musket at him, which he snapped, but it missed fire. Lieutenant Carew then begged that his life should be spared ; and asked for his sword, his wife and family. The convicts put the mother and chil- dren in the boat. Popjoy wanted to accompany Lieutenant Carew ; but the mutineers said they could not do without him, and dragged him on deck. He found the convicts all armed, and several soldiers lying on the deck, dreadfully wounded. One of them was near the helm, with his head cut open, and one of the prisoners (Telford) was standing over .him. The passengers, soldiers, and crew were conveyed ashore in boats, on a desolate island, without food. On Poppy's refusing to join the pirates, he was handcuffed and put forward amongst the sailors ; • who, at that time, had It been sent ashore, owing to a heavy gale of wind that had sprung up. He remained in this situation until two o'clock the next morning, when, under pretence of going for a drink of water forward, he jumped overboard, and swam ashore about a mile. On land- ing he discerned a light at some distance ; and having with difficulty -waded a broad river, and crossed a swamp he found Lieutenant Carew, his wife, and three children, part of the soldiers, several of the ship's company, and some of the convicts, in all about forty per. sons. The next morning, just as the day was breaking, they heard three cheers from the brig, and saw her get under weigh, and steer in an easterly direction, leaving them to their fate, without food, or means of escape. Popjoy contrived for some time to support his Own life and the lives of his companions, by gathering muscles and other shell-fish. He afterwards constructed a little canoe with which
he set sail in quest of assistance. After being buffetted ;bout for five days, during which he experienced the most dreadful privations, he was thrown ashore on Partridge Island ; and had given himself up for lost, when the Zebra brig hove in sight, and he was 'taken on board, and gave information of the misery which his unfortu- nate companions were enduring in their desolate abode. No time was lost in despatching two of the ship's boats laden with provisions, for their 'use. The welcome assistance arrived in time to save the lives of the 'unfortunate sufferers, who had endured the greatest misery, and would, no doubt, have been starved to death, but for the exertions of Popjoy ; who received a free pardon in consequence. The boat was shown to 'Popjoy ; and he recognized it as belonging to the Cyprus. The name of Weldon had been painted on it after the mutiny ; so it seems most pro- bable that no other vessel had been seized by the mutineers, as from their story we were at first induced to suppose.
TILE-THROWING.—On Tuesday, a middle-aged man, named Mose- ley, was sent to the tread-mill for a month, by the Middlesex Bench of Magistrates, for throwing pieces of tiles among the crowd at the late election at Clerkenwell Green. It appeared that in the indulgence of
this pastime, which he could do very securely as he had taken his station on the roof of a house, he seriously injured several individuals.
ROBBERY AT MR. Coneres.—Sheen the fellow who murdered his child and escaped hanging by a legal technicality, and the two men and
the woman charged along with him with robbing the house of Mr. -Cohen at Great St. Helen's, have been fully committed. The female was at first admitted as a witness ; but it appears she is wife to one of the prisoners, and she has in consequence been included in the indict- ment as a partieeps.• . A BOLD FELLOW.—A person named Povey was lately condemned to six months' imprisonment for bigamy. Since his confinement, it has been discovered that he has no fewer than five wives, all living ! Two Uf them made application to the Union Hall Magistrates on Thursday, in order to have his term of imprisonment prolonged. He should be sent to Botany Bay.
RURAL FELICITY IN ENGLAND.—Acts more diabolical than haw for several weeks been perpetrating in the parish and neighbourhood or Cheriton Fitzpaine, have scarcely been heard of in any country with pre- tensions to civilization, and is certainly most disgraceful to our own. The hay stacks of the Reverend Mr. Arundel' have been set on fire, whilst is gentleman of the name of Strong has been so injured in his property and received such annoyance, as to have led him to quit the neighbourhoods. and within a few days the kennel of Mr. Melhuish has been broken into, and the dogs being taken out, the throat of one greyhound was cut but with a refinement in cruelty not so as to occasion the immediate death of the animal, and others were ham-stringed. Though strong suspicion. rests, hitherto all efforts to discover the perpetrators have failed of effect. Exeter Paper. SMUGGLER SHOT.—On Friday night, a skirmish took place near Pevensey, between a party of smugglers and the Coast Blockade whem one of the former was shot dead on the spot, a ball having passed Blockade, his head.—Brighton Guardian.
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