WhenCaptainDavenporthadexplainedthesituationandannouncedhisintentionofrunningforMangareva，anuproarbrokeout。Againstabackgroundofthroatyrumblingaroseinarticulatecriesofrage，withhereandthereadistinctcurse，orword，orphrase。AshrillCockneyvoicesoaredanddominatedforamoment，crying：\"Gawd！Afterbein’inellforfifteendays——an’nowewantsustosailthisfloatin’elltoseaagain？\"
Thecaptaincouldnotcontrolthem，butMcCoy’sgentlepresenceseemedtorebukeandcalmthem，andthemutteringandcursingdiedaway，untilthefullcrew，savehereandthereananxiousfacedirectedatthecaptain，yearneddumblytowardthegreencladpeaksandbeetlingcoastofPitcairn。
SoftasaspringzephyrwasthevoiceofMcCoy：
\"Captain，IthoughtIheardsomeofthemsaytheywerestarving。\"
\"Ay，\"wastheanswer，\"andsoweare。I’vehadaseabiscuitandaspoonfulofsalmoninthelasttwodays。We’reonwhack。Yousee，whenwediscoveredthefire，webatteneddownimmediatelytosuffocatethefire。Andthenwefoundhowlittlefoodtherewasinthepantry。Butitwastoolate。Wedidn’tdarebreakoutthelazarette。Hungry？I’mjustashungryastheyare。\"