returning at day-light in the morning; the last time he left the ship it was his watch on deck.
“Commander Deans. – State to the Court my general treatment of the officers and men on board the Childers. Lieutenant Worsfold – Commander Deans has expressed his wish frequently that the officers and ship’s company should be made as comfortable as possible. No person could do more than he did to make them so.
“Lieutenant Gordon G. Macdonald, second lieutenant of the Childers, was then called, who corroborated the above evidence of Lieutenant Worsfold, and stated that Mr. Collymore was extremely inattentive to his duty, so much so that he frequently expostulated with him, and advised him to pay more attention to it. On the evening of the 14th April last, a man, having the appearance of a farmer, came on board the Childers, and made a complaint, when the commander sent for Mr. Collymore and the boat’s crew. The farmer said his house had been attacked, the windows broken, his family had been put in bodily fear by the threats of a party, who, when asked what they came for at that time of night, answered, they were in search of smuggled goods; that he was induced to open the door, and allow them to come in; that they soon after departed; and the next morning he discovered that one of his gates had been broken, which he strongly suspected to have been done by them. Hereupon Commander Deans immediately inquired of Mr. Collymore and the boat’s crew if they were the aggressors, all of whom positively denied having any knowledge of the transaction. Two days afterwards. Lieutenant Macdonald was commanding officer, when a constable came on board, with a warrant to take Mr. Collymore before a county magistrate. Lieutenant Macdonald sent for Mr. Collymore, and mentioned to him his suspicions that he and the boat’s crew were the parties alluded to in the deposition made by the farmer, and advised him immediately to acknowledge it, if it was so. After some little hesitation, Mr. Collymore acknowledged that he was the person who had attacked the house. Lieutenant Macdonald immediately wrote a note to the magistrates, to say that he would appear, with the young gentleman (Mr. C.) the next morning; which he did. The fact was then acknowledged by Mr. Collymore before the magistrate, which he had previously denied. He then expressed contrition for what had occurred, and, after a severe admonition from the magistrate, he was fined five pounds; which he paid. Lieutenant Macdonald then bore testimony to the treatment of Mr. C. by Commander Deans, which he said was kind and indulgent to such a degree as the service could possibly admit of.
“John Taylor, master’s assistant, was then called, who swore to the fact of Mr. Collymore having left the ship during his (Mr. Taylor’s) watch, about half-past nine or ten o’clock at night; and when he was to have been relieved by Mr. C, the corporal reported that he had gone out of the ship.
