 Chapter 6, Part 1 of the Eventful History of the Mutiny and Paradical Seizure of HMS Bounty. It's Cause and Consequences. This is the LibriVox Recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Brett Downey. The Eventful History of the Mutiny and Paradical Seizure of HMS Bounty. By Sir John Barrow. Chapter 6, Part 1. The Court Marshal. If any person in or belonging to the fleet shall make or endeavor to make any mutinous assembly upon any pretense whatsoever, every person offending herein and being convicted thereof by the sentence of the court marshal shall suffer death. Naval Articles of War, Article 19. The Court assembled to try the prisoners on board His Majesty's ship, Duke, on the 12th September 1792 and continued by adjournment from day to day Sunday accepted until the 18th of the same month. Footnote 24. Present. Vice Admiral Lord Hood, President. Captain Sir Andrew Snape Hammond, Baronette. Captain John Colpoise. Captain Sir George Montague. Captain Sir Roger Curtis. Captain John Basely. Captain Sir Andrew Snape Douglas. Captain John Thomas Duckworth. Captain John Nicholson Engelfield. Captain John Knight. Captain Albomarle Bertie. Captain Richard Goodwin Keats. The charges set forth that Fletcher Christian, who was mate of the bounty, assisted by others of the inferior officers and men, armed with muskets and bayonets, had violently and forcibly taken that ship from her commander, Lieutenant Bly, and that he, together with the master, Boson, Gunner, and Carpenter, and other persons, being 19 in number, were forced into the launch and cast adrift. The Captain Edwards, in the Pandora, was directed to proceed to Otahiti and other islands in the South Seas and to use his best endeavors to recover the said vessel and to bring in confinement to England, the said Fletcher Christian, and his associates, or as many of them as he might be able to apprehend in order that they might be brought to a combined punishment, etc. That Peter Haywood, James Morrison, Charles Norman, Joseph Coleman, Thomas Ellison, Thomas McIntosh, Thomas Birkett, John Millward, William Musprat, and Michael Byrne had been brought to England, etc., and were now put on their trial. Mr. Friar, the master of the bounty, being first sworn, deposed. That he had the first watch, that between ten and eleven o'clock Mr. Bly came on deck, according to custom, and after a short conversation and having given his orders for the night, left the deck. That at twelve he was relieved by the Gunner and retired, leaving all quiet, that at dawn of day he was greatly alarmed by an unusual noise. And that, on attempting to jump up, John Sumner and Matthew Quintow laid their hands upon his breast and desired him to lie still, saying he was their prisoner. That on expostulating with them he was told, Hold your tongue, or you are a dead man, but if you remain quiet there is none aboard will hurt a hair of your head. He further deposes, that on raising himself on the locker he saw on the ladder, going upon deck, Mr. Bly in his shirt, with his hands tied behind him, and Christian holding him by the cord. Then the master at arms, Churchill, then came to his cabin and took a brace of pistols and a hanger, saying, I will take care of these, Mr. Fryer. Then he asked, on seeing Mr. Bly bound, what they were going to do with the captain. That Sumner replied, Damn his eyes, put him into the boat, and let him see if he can live upon three-fourths of a pound of yams a day. Then he remonstrated with such conduct, but in vain. They said he must go in the small cutter. The small cutter, Mr. Fryer exclaimed, while her bottom is almost out and very much eaten by the worms. To which Sumner and Quintowell both said, Damn his eyes, the boat is too good for him. Then after much entreaty he prevailed upon them to ask Christian if he might be allowed to go on deck, which, after some hesitation, was granted. When I came on deck, says Mr. Fryer, Mr. Bly was standing by the Misenmast, with his hands tied behind him, and Christian holding the cord with one hand, and a bayonet and the other. I said, Christian, consider what you are about. Old York tongue, sir, he said. I have been in hell for weeks past. Captain Bly has brought all this on himself. I told him that Mr. Bly and he, not agreeing, was no reason for taking the ship. Old York tongue, sir, he said. I said, Mr. Christian, you and I have been on friendly terms during the voyage, therefore give me leave to speak. Let Mr. Bly go down to his cabin, and I make no doubt we shall all be friends again. He then repeated, Old York tongue, sir, it is too late. And threatening me if I said anything more. Mr. Fryer then asked him to give a better boat than the cutter. He said, No, that boat is good enough. Bly now said to the master that the man behind the hencoops, Isaac Martin, was his friend, and desired him, the master, to knock Christian down, which Christian must have heard, but took no notice. That Fryer then attempted to get past Christian to speak to Martin, but he put his bayonet to his breast, saying, Sir, if you advance an inch farther, I will run you through, and order two armed men to take him down to his cabin. Shortly afterwards, he was desired to go on deck. When Christian ordered him into the boat, he said, I will stay with you if you will give me leave. No, sir, he replied, go directly into the boat. Bly then on the gangway said, Mr. Fryer, stay in the ship. No, by God, sir, Christian said, go into the boat, or I will run you through. Mr. Fryer states that during this time very bad language was used by the people towards Mr. Bly, that with great difficulty they prevailed on Christian to suffer a few articles to be put into the boat. That after the persons were ordered into the boat, to the number of 19, such appropriate language continued to be used. Several of the men calling out, Shoot the blank, that coal, the boson, advised they should cast off and take their chance, as the mutineers would certainly do them a mischief if they stayed much longer. Mr. Fryer then states the names of those who were under arms, and that Joseph Coleman, Thomas Macintosh, Charles Norman, and Michael Byrne, prisoners, wished to come into the boat, declaring they had nothing to do in the business, that he did not perceive Mr. Peter Haywood on deck at the seizure of the ship. On being asked what he supposed Christian meant when he said he had been in hell for a fortnight, he said, from the frequent quarrels that they had and the abuse he had received from Mr. Bly, and that the day before the mutiny Mr. Bly had challenged all the young gentlemen and people with stealing his coconuts. Mr. Cole, the boson, deposes that he had the middle watch, was awakened out of his sleep in the morning, and heard a man calling out to the carpenter, that they had mutinied and taken the ship, that Christian had the command and that the captain was a prisoner on the quarter deck, that he went up the hatchway having seen Mr. Haywood and Mr. Yong in the opposite berth, that coming on deck he saw the captain with his hands tied behind him and four sentinels standing over him, two of which were Ellison and Burkett, the prisoners, that he asked Mr. Christian what he meant to do and was answered by his ordering him to hoist the boat out and shook the bayonet, threatening him and damning him if he did not take care, that when he found the captain was to be sent out of the ship he again went aft with the carpenter to ask for the long boat, that they asked three or four times before he granted it, that he saw Mr. Peter Haywood, one of the prisoners, lending a hand to get the force stayfall along and when the boat was hooked on, spoke something to him, but what it was does not know, as Christian was threatening him at the time. The Haywood then went below and does not remember seeing him afterwards, that after the few things were got into the boat and most of the people in her, they were trying for the carpenter's tool chest when Quintile said, damn them if we let them have these things they will build a vessel in a month. But when all were in the boat she was feared astern, when Coleman, Norman, and McIntosh, prisoners, were crying at the gangway, wishing to go in the boat and Byrne in the cutter alongside was also crying, that he advised Mr. Bly to cast off as he feared they would fire into the boat. The court asked if he had any reason to believe that any other of the prisoners and those named were detained contrary to their inclinations. Answer I believe Mr. Haywood was. I thought all along he was intending to come away. He had no arms and he assisted to get the boat out and then went below. I heard Churchill call out, keep them below! The court Do you think he meant Haywood? I have no reason to think any other. Mr. Peckover, the gunner's evidence is similar to that of Mr. Coles and need not be detailed. Mr. Purcell, the carpenter, corroborated generally the testimony of the three who had been examined. The court asked, did you see Mr. Haywood standing upon the booms? Yes, he was leaning the flat part of his hand on a cutlass. When I exclaimed, in the name of God, Peter, what do you do with that? When he instantly dropped it and assisted in hoisting the launch out and handing the things into the boat and then went down below when I heard Churchill call to Thompson to keep them below but could not tell whom he meant. I did not see Mr. Haywood after that. The court In what light did you look upon Mr. Haywood at the time you say he dropped the cutlass on your speaking to him? Witness I looked upon him as a person confused and then he did not know he had a weapon in his hand or his hand being on it for it was not in his hand. I considered him to be confused by his instantly dropping it and assisting in hoisting the boat out which convinced me in my own mind that he had no hand in the conspiracy that after this he went below as I think on his own account in order to collect some of his things to put into the boat. The court Do you, upon the solemn oath you have taken believe that Mr. Haywood by being armed with the cutlass at the time you have mentioned by anything that you could collect his gestures or speeches had any intention of opposing or joining others that might oppose to stop the progress of the mutiny? Witness No The court In the time that Mr. Haywood was assisting you to get the things into the boat did he, in any degree whatsoever manifest a disposition to assist in the mutiny? Witness No The court Was he, during that time deliberate or frightened and in what manner did he behave himself? Witness I had not an opportunity of observing his every action being myself at that time engaged in getting several things into the boat so that I cannot tell the court Putting every circumstance together declared to this court upon the oath you have taken how you considered his behavior whether as a person joined in the mutiny or as a person wishing well to Captain Blind? Witness I by no means considered him as a person concerned in the mutiny or conspiracy Lieutenant Thomas Hayward late third lieutenant of the Pandora and formerly midshipman of the bounty deposes that he had the morning watch that at four o'clock Fletcher Christian relieved the watch as usual that at five he ordered him as master's mate of his watch to look out while he went down to lash his hammock up that while looking at a shark astern of the ship to his unutterable surprise he saw Fletcher Christian Charles Churchill Thomas Burkitt the prisoner John Sumner Matthew Quintowl William McCoy Isaac Martin Henry Hillbrandt and Alexander Smith coming aft armed with muskets and bayonets that on going forward he asked Christian the cause of such an act who told him to hold his tongue instantly and leaving Isaac Martin as a sentinel on deck he proceeded with the rest of his party below to Lieutenant Bly's cabin that the people on deck were Mr. John Hallett myself Robert Lamb Butcher Thomas Ellison prisoner at the helm and John Mills at the con that he asked Mills if he knew anything of the matter who pleaded total ignorance and Thomas Ellison quitted the helm and armed himself with a bayonet the wrecks now became thronged with our men that Peter Haywood James Morrison two of the prisoners and George Stewart were unarmed on the booms that Fletcher Christian and his gang had not been down long before he heard the cry of murder from Lieutenant Bly and Churchill calling out for a rope on which Mills contrary to all orders and entreaties cut the deep sea line and carried a piece of it to their assistance but soon after Lieutenant Bly was brought upon the quarter deck with his hands bound behind him and was surrounded by most of those who came last on deck this witness then states that on the arrival of the Pandora at Mateve Bay Joseph Coleman was the first that came on board that he was upset in a canoe and assisted by the natives that as soon as the ship was at anchor George Stewart and Peter Haywood came on board that they made themselves known to Captain Edwards and expressed their happiness that he was arrived that he asked them how they came to go away and his majesty shipped the bounty when George Stewart said when called upon hereafter he would answer all particulars that he was prevented by Captain Edwards from answering further questions and they were sent out of the cabin to be confined he then describes the manner in which the rest of the mutineers were taken on the island having stated that when he went below to get some things he saw Peter Haywood in his berth and told him to go into the boat he was asked by the court that he was prevented by any force from going upon deck he answered no the court did you from his behavior consider him as a person attached to his duty or to the party of mutineers? witness I should rather suppose after my having told him to go into the boat and he not joining us to be on the side of the mutineers but that must be understood only as an opinion as he was not in the least employed during the active part of it the court do you have any marks of joy or sorrow on his countenance or behavior? witness sorrow Lieutenant Hallett late midshipmen of the bounty states that he had the morning watch that he heard Lieutenant Bly call out murder and presently after saw him brought upon the deck naked accepting his shirt with his hands tied behind him and Christian holding the end of the cord which tied them in one hand and either a bandit or a cutlass in the other that the cutter was hoisted out and Mr. Samuel, Mr. Hayward and myself ordered to go into her but the boson and carpenter going aft and telling Christian they wished to go with the captain rather than stay in the ship and asking to have the launch that was granted on being asked if he saw Peter Hayward on that day he replied once on the platform standing still and looking attentively towards Captain Bly never saw him under arms nor spoke to him does not know if he offered to go into the boat nor did he hear anyone propose to him to go into the boat that when standing on the platform Captain Bly said something to him but what he did not hear upon which Hayward laughed turned round and walked away Captain Edwards being then called and sworn was desired by the court to state the conversation that passed between him and Coleman Peter Hayward and George Stewart when they came on board the Pandora Edwards Joseph Coleman attempted to come on board before the ship came to an anchor at Otehiti he was soon afterwards taken up by canoes and came on board before the ship came to an anchor I began to make inquiries of him after the bounty and her people the next two came on board were Stewart and Peter Hayward they came after the ship was at anchor but before any boat was on shore I did not see them come alongside I desired Lieutenant Larkin to bring them down to the cabin I asked them what news Peter Hayward I think said he suppose I had heard of the affair of the bounty I don't recollect all the conversation that passed between us he sometimes interrupted me by asking for Mr Hayward the Lieutenant of the Pandora whether he was on board or not he had heard that he was at last I acknowledged that he was and I desired him to come out of my state room where I had desired him to go into as he happened to be with me at the time Lieutenant Hayward treated him with a sort of contemptuous look and began to enter into conversation with him respecting the bounty but I called the Sentinel in to take them into custody and ordered Lieutenant Hayward to desist and I ordered them to be put into irons some words passed and Peter Hayward said he should be able to vindicate his conduct Lieutenant Korner of the Pandora merely states his being sent to bring the rest of the mutineers on board who were at some distance from Mateve Bay the prisoners being called on for their defense the witnesses were again separately called and examined on the part of the prisoners Mr Friar the master called in and examined by Mr Hayward if you had been permitted would you have stayed in the ship in preference to going into the boat witness yes prisoner had you stayed in the ship in expectation of retaking her was my conduct such from the first moment you knew me to this as would have induced you to entrust me with your design and do you believe I would have favored it and given you all the assistance in my power witness I believe he would I should not have hesitated a moment in asking of him when I had an opportunity of opening my mind to him same question being put to Mr Cole the Boson Mr Peckover the gunner and Mr Purcell the carpenter they all answered in the affirmative Mr Hayward asked what was my general conduct temper and disposition on board the ship witness beloved by everybody to the best of my recollection the same question Mr Cole answers always a very good character Mr Peckover the most amiable and deserving of everyone's esteem Mr Purcell in every respect becoming the character of a gentleman and such as married the esteem of everybody Mr Cole being examined gave his testimony that he never saw Mr Hayward armed that he did not consider him of the mutineer's party that he saw nothing of levity or apparent merriment in his conduct that when he was below a steward he heard Churchill call out keep them below and that he believes Hayward was one of the persons meant has no doubt of it at all that Bly could not have spoken to him when on the booms loud enough to be heard that Hayward was alarmed and Hallit alarmed that he by no means considers Hayward or Morrison as mutineers Mr Purcell being examined states that respecting the cutlass on which he saw Mr Hayward's hand resting he does not consider him as being an armed man that he never thought of him as of the mutineer's party that he never heard Captain Bly speak to him that he thinks from his situation he could not have heard him that he was by no means guilty of levity or apparent merriment that he heard the massured arms call out to keep them below that Mr Hallit appeared to him to be very much confused and that Mr Hayward likewise appeared to be very much confused the court asked as you say you did not look upon the prisoner as a person armed to what did you allude when you exclaimed Good God Peter what you do with that witness I look upon it as an accidental thing Captain Edwards being asked by Hayward may I surrender myself to you upon the arrival of the Pandora at Otehiti witness not to me to the Lieutenant I apprehend he put himself in my power I always understood he came voluntarily our boats were not in the water prisoner did I give you such information respecting myself and the bounty as afterwards proved true witness he gave me some information respecting the people on the island that corroborated with Coleman's I do not recollect the particular conversation but in general it agreed with the account given by Coleman prisoner when I told you that I went away the first time from Otehiti with the pirates did I not at the same time inform you that it was not possible for me to separate myself from Christian who would not permit any man of the party to leave him at that time lest by giving intelligence they might have been discovered whenever a ship should arrive witness yes but I do not recollect the latter part of it respecting giving intelligence Mr. Friar again called in and examined by Mr. Morrison Mr. Friar states he saw him assist in hoisting out the boats that he said to him Friar go down below the court asked whether it might not have been from a laudable motive as supposing your assistance at that time might have prevented a more advantageous effort witness probably it might had I stayed in the ship he would have been one of the first that I should have opened my mind to from his good behavior in the former part of the voyage states his belief that he addressed him as advice and that in hoisting out the boat he was assisting Captain Bly Mr. Cole the Boson states that he ordered Morrison to go and help them with the cutter that he told them the boat was overloaded that Captain Bly had begged that no more people should go in her and said he would take his chance in the ship that he shook Morrison by the hand and said he would do him justice in England that he had no reason to suppose him concerned in the mutiny Lieutenant Thomas Hayward states that Morrison appeared joyful and supposed him to be one of the mutineers on being asked by Morrison if he could declare before God in the court that what he stated was not the result of private peak witness not the result of any private peak but an opinion formed after quitting the ship from his not coming with us there being more boats than one cannot say they might have had the cutter this witness was pleased to remember nothing that was in favor of the prisoner Lieutenant Hallett states he saw Morrison under arms being asked in what part of the ship he says I did not see him under arms so the boat was veered a stern and he was then looking over the taff rail and called out in a jeering manner if my friends inquire after me tell them I am somewhere in the South Seas Captain Edwards bore testimony that Morrison voluntarily surrendered himself Mr. Fryer did not see Morrison armed he was in his watch and he considered him a steady, sober, attentive, good man and acknowledged that if he remained in the ship with the view of retaking her Morrison would have been one of the first he should have called to his assistance Mr. Cole gave testimony to his being a man of good character attentive to his duty and he never knew any harm of him Mr. Purcell bore witness to his good character being always diligent and attentive did not see him under arms on the taff rail never heard him use any jeering speeches respecting the prisoner Muspratt Mr. Cole's evidence proves that he had a musket in his hands but not till the latter part of the business it is also proved that he assisted in getting things into the launch Mr. Peckover saw him standing on the forecastle doing nothing he was not armed Lieutenant Hayward saw Muspratt among the armed men was asked when Captain Bly used the words don't let the boat be overloaded my lads I'll do you justice do you understand the latter words my lads I'll do you justice to apply to clothes or to men whom he apprehended might go into the boat witness if Captain Bly made use of the words my lads it was to the people already in the boat and not to those in the ship the court to whom do you imagine Captain Bly alluded was it in your opinion to the men in the boat with him or to any persons then remaining in the ship witness to persons remaining in the ship end of chapter 6 part 1 recording by Brett Downey chapter 6 part 2 of the eventful history of the mutiny and piratical seizure of HMS Bounty its cause and consequences this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Brett Downey the eventful history of the mutiny and piratical seizure of HMS Bounty by Sir John Barrow chapter 6 part 2 against the prisoners Ellison Burkett and Millward the evidence given by all the witnesses so clearly and distinctly proved they were under arms the whole time and actively employed against Bly that it is unnecessary to go into any detail as far as they are concerned the court having called on the prisoners each separately for his defense Mr. Hayward delivered his as follows my lords and gentlemen of this honorable court your attention has already been sufficiently exercised in the painful narrative of this trial it is therefore my duty to trespass further on it as little as possible the crime of mutiny for which I am now arraigned is so seriously pregnant with every danger and mischief that it makes the person so accused in the eyes not only of military men of every description but of every nation, peer at once the object of unpardonable guilt and exemplary vengeance in such a character it is my misfortune to appear before this tribunal and no doubt I must have been gazed at with all that horror and indignation which the conspirators of such a mutiny as that in Captain Bly's ship so immediately provoke hard then indeed is my fate that circumstances should so occur to point me out as one of them appearances probably are against me but they are appearances only for unless I may be deemed guilty for feeling a repugnance and embracing death unnecessarily I declare before this court the tribunal of Almighty God I am innocent of the charge I chose rather to defer asking any questions of the witnesses until I heard the whole of the evidence as the charge itself although I knew it generally was not in its full extent nor in particular points made known to me before I heard it read by the judge advocate at the beginning of the trial and I feel myself relieved by having adopted such a mode as it enables me to set right the particulars of a narrative which I had the honor to transmit to the Earl of Chatham containing an account of all that passed on the fatal morning of the 28th of April 1789 but which from the confusion the ship was in during the mutiny I might have mistaken or from the errors of an imperfect recollection I might have misstated the difference however will now be open to correction and I have great satisfaction in observing this but very slightly respect my part of the transaction and I shall consequently escape the imputation of endeavoring to save myself by imposing on my judges when first this sad event took place I was sleeping in my hammock nor till the very moment of being awakened from it had I the least intimation of what was going on the spectacle was as sudden to my eyes as it was unknown to my heart and both were convulsed at the scene Matthew Thompson was the first that claimed my attention upon waking he was sitting as a sentinel over the arm chest and my birth and informed me that the captain was a prisoner and Christian had taken the command of the ship I entreated for permission to go upon deck and soon after the boson and the carpenter had seen me in my birth as they were going up from the fore hatchway I followed them as it stated in their evidence it is not in my power to describe this upon seeing the captain as I did who with his hands tied behind him was standing on the quarter deck a little abaffed the mizzen mast and Christian by his side my faculties were benumbed and I did not recover the power of recollection until called to by somebody to take hold of the tackle fall and assist to get out the launch which I found was to be given to the captain instead of the large cutter already in the water alongside the ship it were in vain to say what things I put into the boat but many were handed in by me and in doing this it was that my hand touched the cutlass for I will not attempt to deny what the carpenter has deposed though on my conscience I am persuaded it was of momentary duration and innocent as to intention the former is evident from its being unobserved by every witness who saw me upon deck some of whom must have noticed it had it continued a single minute and the latter is proved by the only person who took notice of the circumstance and has also deposed that at the moment he beheld me I was apparently in a state of absolute stupor the poison therefore carries with it its antidote and it seems needless to make any further comment on the subject for no man can be weak enough to suppose that if I had been armed for the purpose of assisting in the mutiny I should have resumed a weapon in the moment of triumph and when the ship was so completely in the possession of the party that as more than one witness has emphatically expressed it all attempts at recovering her would have been impracticable the boat and ship it is true presented themselves to me without its once occurring that I was at liberty to choose much less that the choice I should make would be afterwards deemed criminal and I bitterly deplore that my extreme youth and inexperience concurred in torturing me with apprehensions and prevented me from preferring the former for as things have turned out it would have saved me from the disgrace of appearing before you as I do at this day it would have spared the sharp conflicts of my own mind ever since and the agonizing tears of a tender mother and my much beloved sisters add to my youth and inexperience that I was influenced in my conduct by the example of my messmates Mr. Hallett and Mr. Hayward the former of whom was very much agitated and the latter though he had been many years at sea yet when Christian ordered him into the boat he was evidently alarmed at the perilous situation and so much overcome by the harsh command that he actually shed tears my own apprehensions were far from being lessened at such a circumstance as this and I fearfully beheld the preparations for the captain's departure as the preliminaries of inevitable destruction which although I did not think could be more certain yet I feared would be more speedy by the least addition to their number to show that I have no disposition to impose upon this court by endeavoring to paint the situation of the boat to be worse than it really was I need only refer to the captain's own narrative wherein he says that she would have sunk with them on the evening of the 3rd May had it not been for his timely caution of throwing out some of the stores and all the clothes belonging to the people accepting two suits for each now what clothes or stores could they have spared which in weight would have been equal to that of two men for if I had been in her and the poor fellow Norton had not been murdered at Tafua she would have been encumbered with our additional weight and if it be true that she was saved by those means which the captain says she was it must follow that if Norton and myself had been in her to say nothing of Coleman, McIntosh, Norman and Byrne who to confess were desirous of leaving the ship we must either have gone down with us or to prevent it we must have lightened her of the provisions and other necessary articles and thereby have perished for want dreadful alternative a choice of deaths to those who are certain of dying may be a matter of indifference but where, on one hand death appears inevitable and the means of salvation present themselves on the other however imprudent it might be to resort to those means rather less trying situation I think and hope even at my present time of life that I shall not be suspected of a want of courage for saying few men would hesitate to embrace the latter such then was exactly my situation on board the bounty to be starved to death or drowned appeared to be inevitable if I went in the boat and surely it is not to be wondered at if at the age of 16 years with no one to advise with and so ignorant of the discipline of the service having never been at sea before as not to know or even suppose it was possible that what I should determine upon might afterwards be alleged against me as a crime I say under such circumstances in so trying a situation cannot be wondered at if I suffered the preservation of my life to be the first and to supersede every other consideration besides through the medium of the master the captain had directed most of the officers to remain on board in hopes of retaking the ship such is the master's assertion and such the report on board and as it accorded with my own wishes for the preservation of my life I felt myself doubly justified in staying on board not only as it appeared to be safer than going in the boat but from a consideration also of being in the way to be useful in assisting to accomplish so desirable a wish of the captain let it not, for God's sake let it not be argued that my fears were groundless and that the arrival of the boat at Timor is a proof that my conduct was wrong this would be judging from the event and I think I have plainly shown that but for the death of Norton at Defoe and the prudent order of the captain not to overload the boat neither himself nor any of the people who were saved with him would at this moment have been alive to have preferred any charge against me at this trial if deliberate guilt be necessarily affixed to all who continued on board the ship and that in consequence they must be numbered with Christians party in such a strict view of matters it must irrevocably impeach the armorer and two carpenters mates as well as Martin and Byrne who certainly wished to quit the ship and if Christians first intention of sending away the captain with a few persons only given up or if even the large cutter had not been exchanged for the launch more than half of those who did go with him would have been obliged to stay with me forgetful for a moment of my own misfortunes I cannot help being agitated at the bare thought of their narrow escape everybody must and I'm sure that this court will allow that my case is a peculiarly hard one in as much as the running away with the ship is a proof of the mutiny having been committed the innocent and the guilty are upon exactly the same footing had the former been confined by sickness without a leg to stand on or an arm to assist them in opposing the mutineers they must have been put upon their trial and instead of the captain being obliged to prove their guilt it would have been incumbent upon them to have proved themselves innocent how can this be done but negatively if all who wished it could not accompany the captain they were necessarily compelled to stay with Christian and being with him were dependent on him subject to his orders however disinclined to obey them for force in such a state is paramount to everything but when, on the contrary instead of being in arms or obeying any orders of the mutineers I did everything in my power to assist the captain and those who went with him and by all my actions except in neglecting to do what if I had done must have endangered the lives of those unfortunate as to quit the ship I showed myself faithful to the last moment of the captain's stay what is there to leave a doubt in the minds of impartial and dispassionate men of my being perfectly innocent happy indeed should I have been if the master had stayed on board which he probably would have done if his reasons for wishing to do so had not been overheard by the man who was in the bread room captain Bly in his narrative acknowledges that he left some friends on board the bounty and no part of my conduct could have induced him to believe that I ought not to be reckoned of the number indeed from his attention to and very kind treatment of me personally I should have been a monster of depravity to have betrayed him the idea alone is sufficient to disturb a mind where humanity and gratitude have I hope ever been noticed as its characteristic features and yet Mr. Hallett has said that he saw me laugh at a time when heaven knows the conflict in my own mind independent of the captain's situation rendered such a want of decency impossible the charge in its nature is dreadful but I boldly declare notwithstanding an internal conviction of my innocence has enabled me to endure my sufferings for the last 16 months could I have laid to my heart so heavy an accusation I should not have lived to defend myself from it and this brings to my recollection another part of Captain Bly's narrative in which he says I was kept apart from everyone and all I could do was by speaking to them in general but my endeavors were of no avail for I was kept securely bound and no one but the guard was suffered to come near me if the captain whose narrative we may suppose to have been a detail of everything which happened could only recollect that he had spoken generally to the people I trust it will hardly be believed that Mr. Hallett without notes at so distant a period as this should be capable of recollecting that he heard him speak to anyone in particular and here it may not be improper to observe that at the time to which I elude Mr. Hallett if I am rightly informed could not have been more than 15 years of age I mean not to impeach his courage but I think if circumstances be considered an inadequate idea of the confused state of the ship can be formed by this court it will not appear probable that this young gentleman should have been so perfectly unembarrassed as to have been able to particularize the muscles of a man's countenance even at a considerable distance from him and what is still more extraordinary is that he heard the captain call to me from a bath the mizzen to the platform where I was standing which required an exertion of voice and must have been heard and noticed by all who were present as the captain and Christian were at that awful moment the objects of everyone's peculiar attention yet he who was standing between us and noticing the transactions of us both could not hear what was said to me it has ever occurred that diffidence is very becoming and of all human attainments a knowledge of ourselves is the most difficult and if in the ordinary course of life it is not an easy matter precisely to account for our own actions how much more difficult and hazardous must it be in new and momentous scenes when the mind is hurried and distressed by conflicting passions to judge of another's conduct and yet here are two young men who after a lapse of near four years in which period one of them like myself has grown from a boy to be a man without hesitation in a matter on which my life is depending undertake to account for some of my action at a time too when some of the most experienced officers in the ship are not ashamed to acknowledge they were overcome by the confusion which the mutiny occasioned and are incapable of recollecting a number of their own transactions on that day I can only oppose to such open boldness the calm suggestions of reason and would willingly be persuaded that the impression under which this evidence has been given is not in any degree open to suspicion I would be understood at the same time not to mean anything injurious to the character of Mr. Hallett and for Mr. Hayward I ever loved him and must do him the justice to declare that whatever cause I may have to deplore the effect of his evidence or rather his opinion for he's deposed no fact against me yet I'm convinced it was given conscientiously and with a tenderness and feeling becoming a man of honor but may they not both be mistaken let it be remembered that their long intimacy with Captain Blind in whose distresses they were partakers and whose sufferings were severely felt by them naturally begot and abhorrence towards those whom they thought the authors of their misery might they not forget that the story had been told to them and by first of all believing then constantly thinking of it be persuaded at last it was a fact in the compass of their own knowledge it is the more natural to believe it so for Mr. Hallett's forgetting what the captain said upon the occasion which had he been so collected as he pretends to have been he certainly must have heard also it is evident has made a mistake in point of time as to the seeing me with Morrison and Millward upon the booms where the Boson and the Carpenter in their evidence have said and the concurring testimony of everyone supports the fact that the mutiny had taken place and the captain was on deck before they came up and it was not till after that time that the Boson called Morrison and Millward out of their hammocks therefore to have seen me and all upon the booms with those two men it must have been long after the time that Mr. Hayward has said it was again Mr. Hayward has said that he could not recollect the day nor even the month when the Pandora arrived at Otehiti neither did Captain Edwards recollect when, on his return he wrote to the Admiralty that Michael Byrne had surrendered himself as one of the bounty's people but in that letter he reported him as having been apprehended which plainly shows that the memory is fallible to a very great degree and it is a bare conclusion to draw that when the mine is at rest which must have been the case with Mr. Hayward in the Pandora and the things of a few months date are difficult to be remembered it is next to impossible in the state which everybody was on board the bounty to remember their particular actions at the distance of three years and a half after they were observed after the advice he says he gave me to go into the boat I can only say I have a faint recollection of a short conversation with somebody I thought it was Mr. Stewart but be that as it may I think I may take upon me to say it was on deck and not below for on hearing it suggested that I should be deemed guilty if I stayed in the ship I went down directly and in passing Mr. Cole told him in a low tone of voice that I would fetch a few necessaries in a bag and follow him into the boat which at that time I meant to do but was afterwards prevented surely I shall not be deemed criminal that I hesitated at getting into a boat whose gunnel when she left the ship was not quite eight inches above the surface of the water and if in the moment of unexpected trial fear and confusion has sailed my untaught judgment and that by remaining in the ship I appeared to deny my commander it was in appearance only it was the sin of my head for I solemnly assure you before God that it was not the humbleness of my heart I was surprised into my error by a mixture of ignorance apprehension and the prevalence of example and alarmed as I was for my sleep there was little opportunity and less time for better recollection the captain I am persuaded did not see me during the mutiny for I retired as it were in sorrowful suspense alternately agitated between hope and fear not knowing what to do the dread of being asked by him or of being ordered by Christian to go into the boat or which appeared to me worse than either of being desired by the latter to join his party induced me to keep out of the sight of both until I was a second time confined in my birth by Thompson when the determination I had made was too late to be useful one instance of my conduct I had nearly forgot which with much anxiety and great astonishment I have heard observed upon and considered as a fault though I had imagined it blameless if not laudable I mean the assistance I gave in hoisting at the launch which by a motive expression of the Bosons who says I did it voluntarily meaning that I did not refuse my assistance when he asked me to give it the court I am afraid has considered it as giving assistance to the mutineers and not done with a view to help the captain of which however I have no doubt to give a satisfactory explanation in evidence observations on matters of opinion I will endeavor to forbear where they appear to have been formed from the impulse of the moment but I shall be pardoned for remembering Mr. Hayward given I will allow with great deliberation and after a long way in the question which called for it which cannot be reckoned of that description for although he says he rather considered me as a friend to Christians party he states that his last words to me were Peter go into the boat which words could not have been addressed to one who was of the party of the mutineers and I am sure if the countenance is at all an index to the heart mind must have betrayed the sorrow and distress he has so accurately described it were trespassing unnecessarily upon the patients of the court to be giving a tedious history of what happened in consequence of the mutiny and how through one very imprudent step I was unavoidably led into others but amidst all this pilgrimage of distress I had a conscience thank heaven which lulled away the pain of personal difficulties dangers and distress it was this conscious principle which determined me not to hide myself as if guilty no I welcomed the arrival of the Pandora at Otahiti and embraced the earliest opportunity of freely surrendering myself to the captain of that ship by his order I was chained and punished with incredible severity though the ship was threatened with instant destruction when fear and trembling came on every man on board in vain for a long time were my earnest repeated cries that the galling irons might not in that moment of a frightening consternation prevent my hands from being lifted up to heaven for mercy but though it cannot fail deeply to interest the humanity of this court and kindle in the breast of every member of it compassion for my sufferings yet as it is not relative to the point and as I cannot for a moment believe that it proceeded from any improper motive on the part of Captain Edwards whose character in the Navy stands high in estimation both as an officer and a man of humanity but rather that he was actuated in his conduct towards me by the imperious dictates of the laws of the service I shall therefore wave it and say no more upon the subject believe me again and treat you will believe me when in the name of the tremendous judge of heaven and earth before whose vindictive majesty I may be destined soon to appear I now assert my innocence of plotting abetting or assisting either by word or deed the mutiny for which I am tried for young as I am I am still younger in the school of art in such matured infamy my parents but I have only one left a solitary mother who is at home weeping and trembling for the event of this day thanks to their fostering care taught me be times to reverence God to honor the king and be obedient to his laws and at no one time have I resolutely or designedly been an apostate to either to this honorable court then I now commit myself my character and my life are at your disposal and as the former is as sacred to me the latter is precious the consolation or settled misery of a dear mother and two sisters who mingle their tears together and are all but frantic for my situation pause for your verdict if I am found worthy of life it shall be improved by past experience and especially taught from the serious lesson of what has lately happened but if nothing but death itself can atone for my pitiable indiscretion I bow with submission and all due respect to your impartial decision not with sullen indifference shall I then meditate on my doom as not deserving it no such behavior would be an insult to God and an affront to man and the attentive and candid deportment of my judges in this place requires more becoming manners in me yet if I am found guilty this day they will not construe it I trust as the least disrespect offered to their discernment and opinion if I solemnly declare that my heart will rely with confidence on its own innocence until that awful period when my spirit shall be about to be separated from my body to take its everlasting flight and be ushered into the presence of that unerring judge before whom all hearts are open and from whom no secrets are hid P. Haywood his witnesses fully established the facts which he assumed in this defense and delivered to the president of paper of which the following is a copy my lord the court having heard the witnesses I have been enabled to call it will be unnecessary to add anything to their testimony and point of fact or to observe upon it by way of illustration it is I trust sufficient to do away any suspicion which may have fallen upon me and to remove every implication of guilt which while unexplained my possibility have attached to me it is true I have by the absence of captain Bly, Simpson and Tinkler been deprived of the opportunity of laying before the court much that would at least have been grateful to my feelings though I hope not necessary to my defense as the former must have exculpated me from the least disrespect and the two last would have proved past all contradiction that I was unjustly accused I might regret that in their absence but thank heaven I have been enabled by the very witnesses who were called to criminate me to oppose facts to opinions and give explanation to circumstances of suspicion it has been proved that I was asleep at the time of the mutiny and waked only to confusion and dismay it has been proved it is true that I continued on board the ship but it has been also proved I was detained by force and to this I must add I left the society with those with whom I was for a time obliged to associate as soon as possible and with unbounded satisfaction resigned myself to the captain of the Pandora to whom I gave myself up to whom I also delivered my journal footnote 25 faithfully brought up to the proceeding day and to whom I also gave every information in my power I could do no more for at the first time we were at Otahiti it was impossible for me watched and suspected as I was to separate from the ship my information to Captain Edwards was open, sincere and unqualified and I had many opportunities given me at different times of repeating it had a track been open to my native country I should have followed it had a vessel arrived earlier I should earlier with the same eagerness have embraced the opportunity for I dreaded not an inquiry in which I foresaw no discredit but Providence ordained it otherwise I have been the victim of suspicion and had nearly fallen a sacrifice to misapprehension I have however hitherto surmounted it and it only remains with this court to say if my sufferings have not been equal to my indiscretion the decision will be the voice of honor and to that I must implicitly resign myself P. Haywood Mr. Morrison's defense sets out by stating that he was waked at daylight by Mr. Cole the boatswain who told him that the ship was taken by Christian that he assisted in clearing out the boat at Mr. Cole's desire and says while I was thus employed Mr. Friar came to me and asked if I had any hand in the mutiny I told him no he then desired me to see who I could find to assist me and try to rescue the ship I told him I feared it was then too late what would do my endeavor when John Millward who stood by me and heard what Mr. Friar said swore he would stand by me if an opportunity offered Mr. Friar was about to speak again but was prevented by Matthew Quintow who with a pistol in one hand collared him with the other saying come Mr. Friar you must go down into your cabin and hauled him away Churchill then came and shaking his cutlass at me demanded what Mr. Friar said I told him he only asked me if they were going to have a long boat upon which Alexander Smith Adams who stood on the opposite side of the boat said it's a damned lie Charlie for I saw him and Millward shake hands when the master spoke to them Churchill then said to me I would have you mind how you come on for I have an eye upon you Smith at the same time called out stand to your arms for they intend to make a rush this as it was intended put the mutinyers on their guard and I found it necessary to be very cautious and I acted and I heard Captain Bly said to Smith I did not expect you would be against me Smith but I could not hear what answer he made he says that while clearing the boat he heard Christian order Churchill to see that no arms were put into her to keep Norman, Macintosh and Coleman in the ship and get the officers into the boat as fast as possible then Mr. Friar begged permission to stay but to no purpose was going into the boat without the least appearance of an effort to rescue the ship I began to reflect on my own situation and seeing the situation of the boat and considering that she was at least a thousand leagues from any friendly settlement and judging from what I had seen of the friendly islanders but a few days before that nothing could be expected from them but to be plundered or killed and seeing no choice but of one evil I chose as I thought the least to stay in the ship and considered it as obeying Captain Bly's orders and depending on his promise to do justice to those who remain I informed Mr. Cole of my intention who made me the like promise taking me by the hand and saying God bless you my boy I will do you justice if ever I reach England I also informed Mr. Hayward of my intention and on his dropping a hint to me that he intended to knock Churchill down I told him I would second him pointing to some of the friendly island clubs which were sticking in the booms and saying there were tools enough but, he adds I was suddenly damped to find that he went into the boat without making the attempt he had proposed he then appeals to the members of the court as to the alternative they would themselves have taken a boat alongside already crowded those who were in her crying out she would sink and Captain Bly desiring no more might go in with a slender stock of provisions what hope could there be to reach any friendly shore or withstand the hostile attack of the boisterous elements the perils those underwent who reached the island of Timor and whom nothing but the apparent interference of divine providence could have saved fully justify my fears and prove beyond a doubt that they rested on a solid foundation for by staying in the ship an opportunity might offer of escaping but by going in the boat nothing but death appeared bearing torments of hunger and thirst or from the murderous weapons of cruel savages or being swallowed up by the deep I have endeavored to recall to Mr. Hayward's remembrance a proposal he at one time made by words of attacking the mutineers and of my encouraging him to the attempt promising to back him he says he has but a faint recollection of the business so faint indeed that he cannot recall to his memory the particulars there was something passed to that effect faint however as his remembrance is which for me is the more unfortunate odd it not to do away all doubt with respect to the motives by which I was then influenced and in conclusion he says I beg leave most humbly to remind the members of this honorable court that I did freely and of my own accord deliver myself up to Lieutenant Robert Corner of HMS Pandora on the first certain notice for arrival William Mustbrat's defense declares his innocence of any participation in the mutiny admits he assisted in hoisting out the boat and in putting several articles into her after which he sat down on the booms when Millward came and mentioned to him Mr. Friar's intention to rescue the ship when he said he would stand by Mr. Friar as far as he could and with that intention and for that purpose only he took up a musket and which he quitted the moment he saw blies people get into the boat solemnly denies the charge of Mr. Purcell against him of handing liquor to the ship's company Mr. Hayward's evidence he trusts must stand so impeached before the court as not to receive the least attention when the lives of so many men are to be affected by it for he observes he swears that Morrison was a mutineer because he assisted in hoisting out the boats and that McIntosh was not a mutineer understanding he was precisely employed on the same business that he criminated Morrison from the appearance of his countenance that he had only a faint remembrance of that material and striking circumstance of Morrison's offering to join him to retake the ship that in answer to Musbrat's question respecting Captain Bly's words my lads I'll do you justice he considered them applied to the people in the boat and not to those in the ship to the same question put by their court that they applied to persons remaining in the ship and he notices some other instances which he thinks most materially affect Mr. Hayward's credit and says that if he had been under arms when Hayward swore he was he humbly submits Mr. Hallett must have seen him and he concludes with asserting what indeed was a very general opinion that the great misfortune attending this unhappy business is that no one ever attempted to rescue the ship that it might have been done by a sentinel over the arm chest Michael Burns' defense was very short he says it is pleased the Almighty among the events of his unsearchable providence nearly to deprive me of sight which often puts it out of my power to carry the intentions of my mind into execution I make no doubt but it appears to this honorable court that on the 28th of April 1789 my intention was to quit his Majesty's ship bounty with the officers who went away and that the sorrow I expressed at being detained was real and unfeigned I do not know whether I may be able to repeat the exact words that were spoken on the occasion but some said we must not part with our fiddler and Charles Churchill threatened to send me to the shades if I attempted to quit the cutter into which I had gone for the purpose of attending Lieutenant Blott and without further trespassing on the time of the court it is not necessary to notice any parts of the defense made by Coleman, Norman, and McIntosh as it is clear from the whole evidence and from Bly's certificates that those men were anxious to go in the boat but were kept in the ship by force it is equally clear that Ellison, Millward, and Birkin were concerned in every stage of the mutiny and had little to offer in their defense an exculpation of the crime of which they were accused on the sixth day, namely on the seventh of September 1792 the court met the prisoners were brought in audience admitted when the president having asked the prisoners if they or any of them had anything more to offer in their defense the court was cleared and agreed that the charges had been proved against the said Peter Haywood James Morrison, Thomas Ellison Thomas Birket, John Millward and William Musbrat and did adjuncts them and each of them to suffer death they were hanged by the neck on board such of his majesty's ship or ships of war and at such time or times and at such place or places as the commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland etc or any three of them for the time being should in writing under their hands direct but the court in consideration of various circumstances did humbly and most earnestly recommend Morrison to his majesty's mercy and the court further agreed that the charges had not been proved against the said Charles Norman, Joseph Coleman Thomas McIntosh and Michael Byrne and did adjudge them and each of them to be acquitted the court was then open and audience admitted and sentence passed accordingly End of Chapter 6 Part 2 Recording by Brett Downey Chapter 7 Part 1 of the eventful history of the mutiny and piratical seizure of HMS Bounty its cause and consequences this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the eventful history of the mutiny and piratical seizure of HMS Bounty by Sir John Barrow Chapter 7 Part 1 The King's Warrant Well believed this no ceremony that to great ones longs not the king's crown nor the deputed sword the marshals' truncheon nor the judge's robe become them with one half so good a grace as mercy does it was a very common feeling that Haywood and Morrison the former in particular had been hardly dealt with by the court in passing upon them a sentence of death tempered as it was with the recommendation to the king's mercy it should however have been recollected that the court had no discretional power to pass any other sentence but that or a full acquittal but earnestly no doubt as the court was disposed towards the latter alternative it could not consistently with the rules and feelings of the service be adopted it is not enough in cases of mutiny and this case was aggravated by the piratical nature of a king's ship that the officers and men in his majesty's naval service should take no active part to be neutral or passive is considered as tantamount to eating and abetting besides in the present case the remaining in the ship along with the mutineers without having recourse to such means as offered of leaving her presumes a voluntary adhesion to the criminal party the only fault of Haywood the cardinable one on account of his youth and inexperience was his not asking Christian to be allowed to go with his captain his not trying to go in time McIntosh, Norman, Byrne and Coleman were acquitted because they expressed a strong desire to go but were forced to remain this was not only clearly proved but they were in possession of written testimonies from Bly to that effect and so would Haywood have had but for some prejudice Bly had taken against him in the course of the boat voyage home for it will be shown that he knew he was confined to his birth below in favor of three of the four men condemned without a recommendation there were unhappily no paliating circumstances Millward, Birkitt and Ellison were under arms from first to last and Ellison not only left the helm to take up arms but brushing aft towards Bly called out dim him I'll be sentry over him the fourth man Muspratt was condemned on the evidence of Lieutenant Hayward which however appears to have been duly appreciated by the Lord's commissioners of the Admiralty and in consequence of which the poor man escaped in ignominious death the family of young Hayward in the Isle of Man had been buoyed up from various quarters with the almost certainty of his full acquittal from the 12th September when the court Marshall first sat until the 24th of that month they were prevented by the strong and contrary wins which cut off all communication with England from receiving any tidings whatever but while Mrs Hayward and her daughters were fondly flattering themselves with everything being most happily concluded one evening as they were indulging these pleasing hopes a little boy the son of their particular friends ran into the room and told them in the most abrupt manner that the trial was over and all the prisoners condemned but that Peter Hayward was recommended to mercy he added that a man whose name he mentioned had told him this the man was sent for questioned and replied that he had seen it in a newspaper at Liverpool from which place he had just arrived in a small fishing boat but had forgotten the paper with him in this state of doubtful uncertainty this wretched family remained another whole week harassed by the most cruel agony of mind which no language can express footnote 26 the affectionate Nessie determined at once to proceed to Liverpool and so on to London she urges her brother James at Liverpool to hasten to Portsmouth don't wait for me I can go alone fear and even despair will support me through the journey think only of our poor unfortunate and adored boy bestow not one thought on me and she adds yet if I could listen to reason which is indeed difficult it is not likely that anything serious has taken place or will do so as we should then certainly have had an express she had a tempestuous passage of 49 hours and to save two hours got into an open fishing boat at the mouth of the Mersey the sea running high and washing over her every moment but she observes let me but be pleased with the cheering influence of hope and I have spirit to undertake anything from Liverpool she set off the same night in the mail for London and arrived at Mr. Graham's on the 5th October who received her with the greatest kindness and desired his house her home the suspense into which the afflicted family in the Isle of Man had been thrown by the delay of the packet was painfully relieved on its arrival in the night of the 29th September by the following letter from Mr. Graham to the Reverend Dr. Scott which the letter carried to Mrs. Haywood's family the following morning Portsmouth Tuesday 18th September sir although a stranger I make no apology in writing to you I have attended and given my assistance at Mr. Haywood's trial which was finished and the sentence passed about half an hour ago before I tell you what that sentence is I must inform you that his life is safe not withstanding it is at present at the mercy of the king to which he is in the strongest terms recommended by the court that any unnecessary fears may not be productive of misery to the family I must add that the king's attorney general who with Judge Asherst attended the trial desired me to make myself perfectly easy for that my friend was as safe as if he had not been condemned I would have avoided making use of this dreadful word but it must have come to your knowledge and perhaps unaccompanied by many others of a pleasing kind to prevent its being improperly communicated to Mrs. Haywood whose distresses first engaged me in the business and could not fail to call forth my best exertions upon the occasion I send you this by express the mode of communication I must leave to your discretion and shall only add that although from a combination of circumstances ill nature and mistaken friendship the sentence is in itself terrible yet it is incumbent on me to assure you that from the same combination of circumstances everybody who attended the trial is perfectly satisfied in his own mind that he was hardly guilty in appearance in intention he was perfectly innocent I shall of course write to Commodore Pasley whose mind from my letter to him of yesterday must be dreadfully agitated and take his advice about what is to be done when Mr. Haywood is released I shall stay here till then as my intention is afterwards to take him to my house in town where I think he had better stay till one of the family calls for him for he will require a great deal of tender management after all his sufferings and it would perhaps be a necessary preparation for seeing his mother that one or both his sisters should be previously prepared to support her on so trying an occasion on the following day Mr. Graham again writes to Dr. Scott and among other things observes it will be a great satisfaction to his family to learn that the declarations of some of the other prisoners since the trial put it past all doubt that the evidence upon which he was convicted must have been to say nothing worse of it an unfortunate belief on the part of the witness of circumstances which either never had existence or were applicable to one of the other gentlemen remained in the ship and not to Mr. Haywood footnote 27 on the 20th September Mr. Haywood addresses the first letter he wrote after his conviction to Dr. Scott honored and dear sir on Wednesday the 12th instant the awful trial commenced and on that day when in court I had the pleasure of receiving your most kind and parental letter footnote 28 in answer to which I now communicate to you the melancholy issue of it which as I desired my friend Mr. Graham to inform you of immediately will be no dreadful news to you the morning lowers and all my hope of worldly joy is flat on Tuesday morning the 18th the dreadful sentence of death was pronounced upon me to which being the just decree of that divine providence who first gave me breath I bow my devoted head with that fortitude cheerfulness and resignation which is the duty of every member of the church of our blessed savior and redeemer Christ Jesus to him alone I now look up for soccer in full hope that perhaps a few days more will open to the view of my astonished and fearful soul his kingdom of eternal and incomprehensible bliss prepared only for the righteous of heart I have not been found guilty of the slightest act connected with that detestable crime of mutiny but I'm doomed to die for not being active in my endeavors to suppress it could the witnesses who appeared on the court martial be themselves tried they would also suffer for the very same and only crime of which I have been found guilty but I am to be the victim alas my youthful inexperience and not depravity of will is the sole cause to which I can attribute misfortunes but so far from repining at my fate I receive it with a dreadful kind of joy composure and serenity of mind well assured that it has pleased God to point me out as a subject through which some greatly useful though at present unsearchable intention of the divine attributes may be carried into execution for the future benefit of my country then why should I repine at being made a sacrifice for the good perhaps of thousands of my fellow creatures for heaven why should I be sorry to leave a world in which I have met with nothing but misfortunes and all their concomitant evils I shall on the contrary endeavor to divest myself of all wishes for the futile and subliminary enjoyments of it and prepare my soul for its reception into the bosom of its redeemer for though the very strong recommendation I have had to his majesty's mercy by all the members of the court may meet with his approbation yet that is but the balance of a straw a mere uncertainty upon which no hope can be built the other is a certainty that must one day happen to every mortal and therefore the salvation of my soul requires my most prompt and powerful exertions during the short time I may have to remain on earth as this is too tender a subject for me to inform my unhappy and distressed mother and sisters of I trust dear sir you will either show them this letter or make known to them the truly dreadful intelligence in such a manner as assisted by your wholesome and paternal advice may enable them to bear it with Christian fortitude the only worldly feelings I am now possessed of are for their happiness and welfare but even these in my present situation I must endeavor with God's assistance to eradicate from my heart how hard so ever the task I must strive against cherishing any temporal affections but my dear sir endeavor to mitigate my distressed mother's sorrow give my everlasting duty to her and unabated love to my disconsolate brothers and sisters and all my other relations encourage them by my example to bear up with fortitude and resignation to the divine will under their load of misfortunes almost too great for female nature to support and teach them to be fully persuaded that all hopes of happiness on earth are vain on my own account I still enjoy the most easy serenity of mine and am dear sir forever you're greatly indebted and most dutiful but ill faded Peter Haywood his next letter is to his dearly beloved Nessie had I not a strong idea that ere this mournful epistle from your ill-fated brother can reach the trembling hand of my ever dear and much afflicted Nessie she must have been informed of the final issue of my trial on Wednesday morning by my honored friend Dr. Scott I would not now add trouble to the afflicted by a confirmation of it though I have indeed fallen an early victim to the rigid ideals of the service and though the jaws of death are once more opened upon me yet do I not now nor ever will bow to the tyranny of base-born fear conscious of having done my duty to God and man I feel not one moment's anxiety on my own account but cherish a full and sanguine hope that perhaps a few days more will free me from the load of misfortune which has ever been my portion in this transient period of existence and that I shall find an everlasting asylum in those blessed regions of eternal bliss where the galling yoke of tyranny and oppression is felt no more if earthly majesty to whose mercy I have been recommended by the court should refuse to put forth its lenient hand and rescue me from what is fancifully called an ignominious death there is a heavenly king and redeemer ready to receive the righteous penitent on whose gracious mercy alone I as we all should depend with that pious resignation which is the duty of every Christian well convinced that without his express permission not even a hair of our head can fall to the ground oh my sister my heart yearns when I picture to myself the affliction indescribable affliction which this melancholy intelligence must have caused in the mind but let it be your peculiar endeavor to watch over her grief and mitigate her pain I hope indeed this little advice from me will be unnecessary for I know the holy precepts of that inspired religion which thank heaven have been implanted in the bosoms of us all will point out to you and all my dear relatives that fortitude and resignation which are required of us in the conflicts of human nature meant you from arraigning the wisdom of that omniscient providence of which we ought all to have the fullest sense I have had all my dear Nessie's letters the one of the 17th this morning but alas what do they now avail their contents only serve to prove the instability of all human hopes and expectations but my dear sister I begin to feel the pings which you must suffer from the perusal of this melancholy paper and will therefore desist for I know it is more than your nature can support the contrast between last week's correspondence and this is great indeed but why we had only hope then and have we not the same now certainly endeavor then my love to cherish that hope and with faith rely upon the mercy of that God who does as to him seems best and most conducive to the general good of his miserable creatures bear it then with Christian patience and instill into the mind of my dear and now sorrowful sisters by your advice the same disposition and for heaven's sake let not despair touch the soul of my dear mother for then all would be over let James also employ all his efforts to cheer her spirits under her weight of woe I will write no more to you my dearest love write but little to me and pray for your ever affectionate but ill-fated brother P.S. I am in perfect spirits therefore let not your sympathizing feelings for my sufferings hurt your own precious health which is dearer to me than life itself adieu in a letter to his mother he assures her of the perfect tranquility of his mind advises her not to entertain me but at the same time not to be uneasy and he adds a minister of the gospel who now attends me has advised me not to say too much to any of my dear relations but now and then I cannot avoid it to his dearest Nessie who encourages him to take hope he says alas it is but a broken stick which I have leaned on and it has pierced my soul in such a manner that I will never more trust to it but wait with a contented mind and patience for the final accomplishment of the divine will Mrs. Hope is a faithless and ungrateful acquaintance with whom I have now broken off all connections and in her stead have endeavored to cultivate a more sure friendship with resignation in full trust of finding her more constant he desires her to write through her brother James who is with him and says that the reason for his having desired her not to write much was lest she might hurt herself by it and he adds from an idea that your exalted sentiments upon so tender a subject ought not to be known by an inquiring world but he continues do just as you like best I am conscious that your good sense will prompt you to nothing inconsistent with our present circumstances to this she replies with the spirit of a character like her own yes my ever dearest brother I will write to you and I know I need not add that in that employment while thus deprived of your loved society consists my only happiness but why not express my sentiments to yourself I have nothing to say which I should blush to have known to all the world nothing to express on my letters to you but love and affection shall I blush for this or can I have a wish to conceal sentiments of such a nature for an object who I am so certain merits all my regard and in whom the admiration of surrounding friends convinces me I am not mistaken no surely tis my pride my chiefest glory to love you and when you think me worthy of commendation that praise and that only can make me vain therefore write to you my dearest brother in a private manner for that is unnecessary and I abhor all deceit in which I know you agree with me to her sister Mary in the Isle of Man she says with respect to that little wretch Halit his intrepidity in court was astonishing and after every evidence had spoken highly in Peter's favor and given testimony of his innocence so strong that not a doubt was entertained of his acquittal he declared unasked that while Bly was upon deck he, Halit, saw him look at and speak to Peter what he said to him Halit could not hear being at the distance of twenty feet from Bly and Peter was twenty feet farther off consequently a distance of forty feet separated Mr. Bly and my brother but he added that Peter as I said to him laughed and turned contemptuously away no other witness saw Peter laugh but Halit on the contrary all agreed he wore a countenance on that day remarkably sorrowful yet the effect of this cruel evidence was wonderful upon the minds of the court and they concluded by pronouncing the dreadful sentence though at the same time accompanied by the strongest recommendation to mercy assure yourselves I have it from Mr. Graham's own mouth that Peter's honor is and will be as secure as his own that every professional man as well as every man of sense of whatever denomination does and will esteem him highly that my dear uncle Pasley who was in town the night before my arrival is delighted with his worth and that in short we shall at length be happy from this time a daily correspondence passed between Peter Haywood and his sister Nessie the latter indulging hope even to a certainty that she will not be deceived the other preaching up patience and resignation with a full reliance on his innocence and integrity cheer up then says he my dear Nessie cherish your hope and I will exercise my patience indeed so perfectly calm was this young man under his dreadful calamity that in a very few days after condemnation his brother says while I write this Peter is sitting by me making an Othaheten vocabulary and so happy and intent upon it that I have scarcely an opportunity of saying a word to him he is in excellent spirits and I am convinced they are better and better every day this vocabulary is a very extraordinary performance that consists of 100 full written folio pages the words alphabetically arranged and all the syllables accented it appears from a passage in the voyage of the duff that a copy of this vocabulary was of great use to the missionaries who were first sent to Othaheten in this ship during the delay which took place in carrying the sentence into execution Commodore Pasley Mr. Graham and others were most fattigable in their inquiries and exertions to ascertain what progress had been made in bringing to a happy issue the recommendation to the fountain of mercy not less so was Nessie Haywood from Mr. Graham she learned what this excellent man considered to be the principal parts of the evidence that led to the conviction of her unhappy brother which having understood that to be the following she transmitted to her brother first that he assisted in hoisting out the launch second that he was seen by the carpenter resting his hand upon a cutlass third that on being called to by Lieutenant Bly he laughed fourth that he remained in the bounty instead of accompanying Bly in the launch on these points of the evidence Mr. Haywood made the following comments which he sent from Portsmouth to his sister in town Peter Haywood's remarks upon material points in the evidence which was given at his trial on board the Duke in the Portsmouth harbor first that I assisted in hoisting out the launch this boat was asked for by the captain and his officers and whoever assisted in hoisting her out were their friends for if the captain had been sent away in the cutter which was Christian's first intention he could not have taken with him or ten men whereas the launch carried nineteen the boson, the master, the gunner and the carpenter say in their evidence that they considered me as helping the captain on this occasion second that I was seen by the carpenter resting my hand on a cutlass I was seen in this position by no other person than the carpenter no other person therefore could be intimidated by my appearance was the carpenter intimidated by it no so far from being afraid of me he did not even look upon me in the light of a person armed but pointed out to me the danger there was of my being thought so and I immediately took away my hand from the cutlass upon which I had very innocently put it when I was in a state of stupor the court was particularly pointed in its inquiries into the circumstance and the carpenter was pressed to declare that I had been taken and after maturely considering the matter whether he did at the time he saw me so situated or had since been inclined to believe that under all the circumstance of the case I could be considered as an armed man to which he unequivocally answered no and he gave some good reasons which will be found in his evidence for thinking that I had not a wish to be armed during the mutiny and the boson the gunner Mr. Hayward Mr. Hallett and John Smith who with the carpenter were all the witnesses belonging to the bounty say in their evidence that they did not any of them see me armed and the boson and the carpenter further say in the most pointed terms that they considered me to be one of the captain's party and by no means as belonging to the mutineers and the master the boson the carpenter all declare that from what they observed on my conduct during the mutiny and from a recollection of my behavior previous there too they were convinced I would have afforded them all the assistance in my power if an opportunity had afforded to retake the ship third that upon being called to by the captain I laughed if this was believed by the court it must have had I am afraid a very great effect upon its judgment for if viewed in too serious a light it would seem to bring together and combine a number of trifling circumstances which by themselves could only be treated merely as matters of suspicion it was no doubt therefore received with caution and considered with the utmost candor the countenance I grant on some other occasions may warrant an opinion of good or evil existing in the mind but on the momentous events of life and death it is surely by much too indefinite and hazardous even to listen to for a moment the different ways of expressing our various passions are with many as variable as the features they wear tears have often been may generally are the relief of excessive joy while misery and dejection have many a time disguised themselves in a smile and convulsive laughs have betrayed the anguish of an almost broken heart to judge therefore the principles of the heart by the barometer of the face is as erroneous as it would be absurd and unjust this matter may likewise be considered in another point of view Mr. Hallett says I laughed in consequence of being called to by the captain who was abaffed the mizzen mast while I was upon the platform near the four hatchway a distance of more than 30 feet if the captain intended I should hear him and there can be no doubt that he wished it if he really called to me he must have exerted his voice and very considerably too upon such an occasion and in such a situation and yet Mr. Hallett himself who by being on the quarter deck could not have been half the distance from the captain that I was even he I say could not hear what was said to me how in the name of God was it possible that I should have heard the captain at all situated as I must have been in the midst of noisy confusion and if I did not hear him which I most solemnly aver to be the truth even granting that I laughed which however in my present awful situation I declare I believe I did not it could not have been at what the captain said upon this ground then I hope I shall stand acquitted of this charge for if the crime derives its guilt from the knowledge I had of the captain speaking to me it follows of course that if I did not hear him speak there could be no crime in my laughing it may however very fairly be asked why Mr. Hallett did not make known that the captain was calling to me his duty to the captain if not his friendship for me should have prompted him to it and the peculiarity of our situation required this act of kindness at his hands footnote 29 I shall only observe further from this head that the boson the carpenter and Mr. Hayward who saw more of me than any other of the witnesses did say in their evidence that I had rather a sorrowful countenance on the day of the mutiny fourth that I remained on board the ship instead of going in the boat with the captain that I was at first alarmed of going into the boat I will not pretend to deny but that afterwards I wished to accompany the captain and should have done it if I had not been prevented by Thompson who can find me below by the order of Churchill is clearly proved by the evidence of several of the witnesses the boson says that just before he left the ship I went below and in passing him said something about a bag it was that I would put a few things and follow him the carpenter says he saw me go below at this time and both those witnesses say that they heard the master at arms call to Thompson to keep them below the point therefore will be to prove to whom this order keep them below would apply the boson and carpenter say they have no doubt of its meaning me as one and that it must have been so I shall have very little difficulty in making a statement they remained on board the ship after the boat put off 25 men Mr. Hayward and Hallett have proved that the following were under arms Christian Hillbrandt Millward Burkitt Muspratt Ellison Sumner Smith Young Skinner Churchill McCoy Quintal Morrison Williams Thompson Mills and Brown in all 18 the master and upon this occasion I may be allowed to quote from the captain's printed narrative mentions Martin as one which makes the number of armed men 19 none of whom we may reasonably suppose were ordered to be kept below indeed Mr. Hayward says that there were at the least 18 of them upon deck when he went into the boat and if Thompson the sentinel over the arm chest be added to them it exactly agrees with the number named there remains then six to whom Churchill's order keep them below might apply namely Hayward Stewart Coleman Norman Macintosh and Byrne could Byrne have been one of them no for he was in the cutter alongside could Coleman have been one of them no for he was at the gangway when the captain and officers went into the launch and after upon the tafferell when the boat was veered a turn could Norman have been one of them no for he was speaking to the officers could Macintosh have been one of them no for he was with Coleman and Norman desiring the captain and officers to take notice that they were not concerned in the mutiny it could then have applied to nobody but Mr. Stewart and myself and by this order of Churchill therefore was I prevented from going with the captain in the boat the forgoing appear to me the most material points of evidence on the part of the prosecution my defense being very full and the body of evidence in my favor too great to admit of observation in this concise manner I shall refer for an opinion thereon to the minutes of the court-martial signed P. Hayward End of Chapter 7 Part 1 Chapter 7 Part 2 of the eventful history of the mutiny and of HMS Bounty its cause and consequences this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Brett Downey and Teresa Downey the eventful history of the mutiny and of HMS Bounty by Sir John Barrow Part 2 There is a note in Marshall's naval biography Footnote 30 furnished by Captain Hayward which shows one motive for keeping him and Stewart in the ship it is as fallen Mr. Stewart was no sooner released than he demanded of Christian the reason of his detention on which the latter denied having given any directions to that effect and his assertion was corroborated by Churchill knowing it was their intention to go away with Bly in which case added he what would become of us if anything should happen to you who was there but yourself and them to depend upon in navigating the ship it may be suspected however that neither Christian nor Churchill told the exact truth and that Mr. Hayward's case is in point of fact much stronger than he ever could have imagined and that if Bly had not acted against the greatest and unfair man towards him he would have been acquitted by the court on the same ground that Coleman, Norman, Macintosh and Burnworth namely that they were detained in the ship against their will as stated by Bly in the narrative on which they were tried and also in his printed report it has before been observed that many things are set down in Bly's original manuscript journal that have not appeared in any published part of the subject there is in the former the following very important admission as for the officers whose cabins were in the cockpit there was no relief for them they endeavored to come to my assistance but were not allowed to put their heads above the hatchway to say therefore that in the suppression of this passage Bly acted with prejudice and unfairness is to make use of mild terms it has more of the appearance of a deliberate act of malice which two innocent men might have been condemned to suffer an ignomious death one of whom was actually brought into this predicament the other only escaped it by a premature death it may be asked how did Bly know that Stuart and Hayward endeavored but were not allowed to come to his assistance to find as he was on the quarter-deck how could he know what was going on below the answer is he must have known it from Christian himself Churchill no doubt acted entirely by his leader's orders and the latter could give no orders that were not heard by Bly whom he never left but held the cord by which his hands were fettered till he was forced into the boat Churchill was quite right as to the motive of keeping these young officers but Christian had no doubt another and a stronger motive he knew how necessary it was to interpose a sort of barrier between himself and his mutinous gang he was too good an adept not to know that Seaman will always pay a more ready and cheerful obedience to officers who are gentlemen than to those who may have risen to the command from among themselves it is indeed a common observation in the service that officers who have risen from before the mast are generally the greatest tyrants footnote 31 it was Bly's misfortune not to have been educated in the cockpit of a man of war among young gentlemen which is to the navy what a public school is to those who are to move in civil society what painful sufferings to the individual and how much misery to an affectionate family might have been spared had Bly, instead of suppressing only suffered the passage to stand as originally written in his journal the remarks of young Haywood above resided were received and transmitted by his sister Nessie in a letter to the Earl of Chatham then first lord of the Admiralty of which the following is a copy Great Russell Street 11th October 1792 my lord to a nobleman of your lordship's known humanity and excellence of heart I dare hope that the unfortunate cannot plead in vain deeply impressed as I therefore am the sentiments of the most profound respect for a character which I have been ever taught to revere and alas I nearly interested as I must be in the subject of these lines may I request your lordship will generously pardon a sorrowful and mourning sister for presuming to offer the enclosed remarks for your candid perusal it contains a few observations made by my most unfortunate and tenderly beloved brother Peter Haywood endeavoring to elucidate some parts of the evidence given at the court-martial lately held at Portsmouth upon himself and other prisoners of his majesty's ship bounty when I assure you my lord that he is dearer and more precious to me than any object on earth nay infinitely more valuable than life itself that deprived of him the word misery would but ill express my complicated wretchedness and that on his fate my own and shall I not add that of a tender fond and alas widowed mother depends I am persuaded you will not wonder nor be offended that I am thus bold in conjuring your lordship will consider with your usual candor and benevolence the observations I now offer you as well as the painful situation of my dear and unhappy brother I have the honor etc Nessie Haywood whether this letter and its enclosure produced any effect on the mind of lord Chatham does not appear but no immediate steps were taken nor was any answer given and this amiable young lady and her friends were suffered to remain in the most painful state of suspense for another fortnight the day or two before the warrant was dispatched that excellent man Mr. Graham writes thus to Mrs. Haywood my dear madam if feeling for the distresses and rejoicing in the happiness of others the heart which entitles the owner of it to the confidence of the good and virtuous I would feign be persuaded that mine has been so far interested in your misfortunes and is now so pleased with the prospect of your being made happy as cannot fail to procure me the friendship of your family which as it is my ambition it cannot cease to be my desire to cultivate unused to the common rewards which are sought after in this world I will profess I will anticipate more real pleasure and satisfaction from the simple declaration of you and yours that we accept of your services and we thank you for them then it is in common minds to conceive but fearful less to grateful sense should be entertained of the friendly offices I have been engaged in which however I ought to confess I was prompted to in the first place by remembrance of the many obligations I owe to Commodore Passley I must beg you will recollect that by sending to me your charming Nessie and if strong affection may plead such a privilege I may be allowed to call her my daughter also you would have overpaid me if my trouble had been ten times and my uneasiness ten thousand times greater than they were upon what I once thought the melancholy but now deem the fortunate occasion which has given me the happiness of her acquaintance thus far my dear madam I have written to you to please myself now for what must please you and in which too I have my share of satisfaction the business though not publicly known is most certainly finished and what I had my doubts about yesterday I am satisfied of today happy happy happy family except of my congratulations not for what it is in the power of words to express but for what I know you will feel upon being told that your beloved Peter will soon be restored to your bosom with every virtue that can adorn a man and ensure to him an affectionate a tender and truly welcome reception at the foot of this letter Nessie writes thus now my dearest mama did you ever in all your life read so charming a letter be assured it is exactly characteristic of the benevolent writer what would I give to be transported though only for a moment to your elbow that I might see you read it what will you feel when you know assuredly that you may with certainty believe its contents well may Mr. Graham call us happy for never felicity could equal ours don't expect connected sentences from me at present for this joy makes me almost delirious adieu love to all I need not say be happy and blessed as I am at this dear hour my beloved mother your most affectionate N. H. on the 24th October the King's warrant was dispatched from the Admiralty granting a full and free pardon to Haywood and Morrison a respite for Musprat which was followed by a pardon and for carrying the sentence of Ellison Burkitt and Millward into execution which was done on the 29th on board his majesty's ship Brunswick in Portsmouth Harbour on this melancholy occasion Captain Hammond reports that the criminals behaved with great penitence and decorum acknowledged the justice of their sentence for the crime of which they had been found guilty and exhorted their fellow sailors to take warning by their untimely fate and whatever might be their hardships never to forget their obedience to their officers as a duty owed to their king and country the captain adds a party from each ship in the harbour and its spithead attended the execution from the reports I have received the example seems to have made a great impression upon the minds of all the ships companies present the same warrant that carried with it affliction to the friends of these unfortunate men was the harbinger of joy to the family and friends of young Haywood happy intelligence was communicated to his affectionate Nessie on the 26th who instantly dispatched the joyful tidings to her anxious mother in the following characteristic note Friday 26th October four o'clock oh blessed hour little did I think my beloved friends when I closed my letter this morning that before night I should be out of my senses with joy this moment this ecstatic moment brought the enclosed footnote 32 I cannot speak my happiness let it be sufficient to say that in a very few hours our angel Peter will be free and after this night to Portsmouth and tomorrow or next year at furthest I shall be oh heavens what shall I be I'm already transported even to pain then how shall I bear to clasp him to the bosom of your happy ah how very happy and affectionate Nessie Haywood I am too mad to write sense but tis a pleasure I would not forego to be the most reasonable being earth. I asked Mr. Graham, who is at my elbow, if he would say anything to you. Lord, said he, I can't say anything. He is almost as mad as myself." Put note 33. Mr. Graham writes, I have, however, my senses sufficiently about me not to suffer this to go without begging leave to congratulate you upon, and to assure you that I most sincerely sympathize and participate in the happiness which I am sure the enclosed will convey to the mother and sisters of my charming and beloved Nessie. This charming girl next writes to Mr. Const, who attended his counsel for her brother, to acquaint him with the joyful intelligence and thus concludes, I flatter myself, you will partake in the joy which notwithstanding it is so excessive at this moment, as almost to deprive me of my faculties, leaves me, however, sufficiently collected, to assure you of the eternal gratitude and esteem with which I am, etc. To which Mr. Const, after congratulations and thanks for her polite attention, observes, give me leave, my dear Miss Haywood, to assure you that the intelligence has given me a degree of pleasure which I have not terms to express, and it is even increased by knowing what you must experience on the event. Nor is it an immaterial reflection that, although your brother was, unfortunately, involved in the general calamity which gave birth to the charge, he is uncontaminated by the crime, for there was not a credible testimony of the slightest fact against him that can make the strictest friend deplore anything than his past, except his sufferings, and his uniform conduct under them only proved how little he deserved them. Mr. Graham's impatience and generous anxiety to give the finishing stroke to this joyful event would not permit him to delay one moment in setting out for Portsmouth, and bringing up to his house in town the innocent sufferer, where they arrived on the morning of 29 October. Miss Haywood can best speak of her own feelings. Great Russell Street, Monday morning, 29 October, half past ten o'clock, the brightest moment of my existence. My dearest mama, I have seen him, classed him to my bosom, and my felicity is beyond expression. In person he is almost even now as I could wish. In mind, you know him as an angel. I can write no more, but to tell you that the three happiest beings at this moment on earth are your most dutiful and affectionate children. Nessie Haywood, Peter Haywood, James Haywood. Love too, and from all, ten thousand times. The worthy Mr. Graham adds, if, my dearest madam, it were ever given for mortals to be supremely blessed on earth, mine to be sure must be the happy family, heavens. With what unbounded extravagance have we been forming our wishes, and yet how far beyond our most abounded wishes were we blessed? Nessie, Maria. Put note 34. Peter and James, I see, have all been endeavoring to express their feelings. I will not fail in any such attempt, for I will not attempt anything beyond an assurance that the scene I have been witness of, and in which I am happily so great a sharer, beggars all description. Permit me, however, to offer my most sincere congratulations upon the joyful occasion. This amiable young lady, some of whose letters have been introduced into this narrative, did not long survive her brother's liberty. This impassioned and most affectionate of sisters, with an excess of sensibility, which acted too powerfully on her bodily frame, sunk, as is often the case with such deceptible minds, on the first attack of consumption. She died within the year of her brother's liberation. On this occasion, the following note from her afflicted mother appears among the papers from which the letters and poetry are taken. My dearest Nessie was seized, while on a visit at Major York's, at Bishop's Grove, near Tunbridge Wells, with a violent cold, and not taking proper care of herself, it soon turned to inflammation on her lungs, which carried her off at Hastings, to which place she was taken, on the 5th of September, to try if the change of air and being near the sea would recover her. But alas, it was too late for her to receive the wish for benefit, and she died there on the 25th of the same month, 1793, and has left her only surviving parent, a disconsult mother, to lament, while ever she lives, with the most sincere and deep affliction, the irreparable loss of her most valuable, affectionate, and darling daughter. Footnote 35. But to return to Mr. Haywood, when the King's fall and free pardon had been read to this young officer by Captain Montague, with a suitable admonition and congratulation, he addressed that officer in the following terms, so suitably characteristic of his noble and manly conduct throughout the whole of the distressing business in which he was innocently involved. Sir, when the sentence of the law was passed upon me, I received it, I trust, as became a man, and if it had been carried into execution, I should have met my fate, I hope, in a manner becoming a Christian. Your admonition cannot fail to make a lasting impression on my mind. I receive with gratitude my sovereign's mercy, for which my future life shall be faithfully devoted to his service. Footnote 36. And well did his future conduct fulfill that promise, notwithstanding the inauspicious manner in which the first five years of his servitude in the Navy had been passed, two of which were spent among mutineers and savages, and 18 months as a close prisoner in Irons, in which condition he was shipwrecked and within an ace of perishing. Notwithstanding this unpromising commencement, he reentered the naval service under the auspices of his uncle, Commodore Passley, and Lord Hood, who presided at his trial, and who earnestly recommended him to embark again as a midshipman without delay, offering to take him into the victory under his own immediate patronage. In the course of his service, to qualify for the commission of Lieutenant, he was under the respective commands of three or four distinguished officers who had sat on his trial, from all whom he received the most flattering proofs of esteem and approbation, to the application of Sir Thomas Passley to Lord Spencer for his promotion, that nobleman with that due regard he was always known to pay to the honor and interest of the Navy, while individual claims were never overlooked. He gave the following reply, which must have been highly gratifying to the feelings of Mr. Haywood and his family. Admiralty, January 13, 1797. Sir, I should have returned an earlier answer to your letter of the sixth instant. If I had not been desirous, before I answered it, to look over, with as much attention as was in my power, the proceedings on the court marshal held in the year 1792, by which court Mr. Peter Haywood was condemned for being concerned in the mutiny on board the bounty. I felt this to be necessary from having entertained a very strong opinion that it might be detrimental to the interests of His Majesty's service, if a person under such a predicament should be afterwards advanced to the higher and more conspicuous situations of the Navy. But having, with great attention, perused the minutes of that court marshal, as far as they relate to Mr. Peter Haywood, I am now the satisfaction of being able to inform you that I think his case was such and so, as under all its circumstances, though I do not mean to say that the court were not justified in their sentence, ought not to be considered as a bar to his further progress in his profession, more especially when the gallantry and propriety of his conduct in his subsequent service are taken into consideration. I shall therefore have no difficulty in mentioning him to the Commander-in-Chief on the station to which he belongs, as a person from whose promotion, on a proper opportunity, I shall derive much satisfaction, more particularly from his being so nearly connected with you. I have the honor to be, etc., signed Spencer. It is not here intended to follow Mr. Haywood through his honorable career of service, during the long and arduous contest with France, and in the several commands with which he was entrusted. In a note of his own writing it is stated that on paying off the Montague in July 1816 he came on shore after having been actively employed at sea 27 years, six months, one week, and five days, out of a servitude in the Navy of 29 years, seven months, and one day. Having reached nearly the top of the list of captains, he died in this present year, leaving behind him a high and unblemished character in that service, of which he was a most honorable, intelligent, and distinguished member. End of Chapter 7 Part 2, recording by Brett Downey and Teresa Downey.