oct 24, 1773 - Said participant George Hewes, “We
then were ordered by our commander
to open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them overboard, and
we immediately proceeded to execute his orders, first cutting and splitting the
chests with our tomahawks, so as
thoroughly to expose them to the
effects of the water.” Hewes also noted
that “We were surrounded by British
armed ships, but no attempt was made
to resist us.”