Sixteen Arch firemen on the str.
Chesapeake were brought up from Woosung last Friday afternoon, and arraigned in H. M, Police Court. for disobedience of orders and refusal of daty. The case was heard by Mr. G. W. King, and Mr. Brett, who is in charge of H. M. Shipping office wae Read, master of the vessel stated that the Chesapeake was from Avonmonth, bound for Hankow. These men wore all on the articles at £4,10 per month: They were to be signed off at the Captain's option either in Singapore or China, with not leas than three months' pay. The men had refused duty and desired to be signed off here.
The accused all contended that they bad been signed on by the voyage to Shanghai. For that reason they ro-fossed duty, and wanted their passages paid to Singapore.
His Worship endeavoured to persuade the men to go back to their "hip. If they agreed to do that, they would be fined six days' pay. Otherwise they would go to prison with hard labour for fortnight.
The men unanimously refused to retarn to their ship, though when hin Worship left the Court one or two of them expressed their willingness to resume work. They were handcuffed in pairs sod marched up to the British Gaol to serve their sentences,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.