If what Bligh states with regard to the conduct of
the master and the carpenter be true, it was such, on
several occasions, as to provoke a man much less
irritable than himself. He thus speaks of the latter,
when in the ship and in the midst of the mutiny.
"The boatswain and carpenter were fully nt liberty;
the former was employed, on pain of death, to hoist
the boats out, but the latter I saw acting the part of
an idler, with an impudent and ill-looking counte-
nance, which led me to believe he was one of the
122 THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION.
mutineers, until he was among- the rest ordered to
leave the ship, for it appeared to me to be a doubt
with Christian, at first, whether he should keep th3
carpenter or his mate (Norman), but knowing the
former to be a troublesome fellow, he determined on
the latter."
The following paragraph also appears in his ori-
ginal journal, on the day of the mutiny, but is not
alluded to in his printed narrative. " The master's
cabin was opposite to mine ; he saw them (the mu-
tineers) in my cabin, for our eyes met each other
through his door-window. He had a pair of ship's
pistols loaded, and ammunition in his cabin — a firm
resolution might have made a good use of them.
After he had sent twice or thrice to Christian to be
allowed to come on deck, he was at last permitted,
and his question then vi^as, 'Will you let ijie remain
in the ship V — ' No.' — ' Have you any objection,
Captain Bligh V I whispered to him to knock him
down — Martin is good (this is the man who gave
the shaddock), for this was just before Martin was
removed from me. Christian, however, pulled me
back, and sent away the master, with orders to go
again to his cabin, and I saw no more of him until
he was put into the boat. He afterward told me
that he could find nobody to act with him; that
by staying in the ship he hoped to have retaken
her, and that, as to the pistols, he was so flurried
and surprised, that he did not recollect he had
them." This master tells a very different story
respecting the pistols, in his evidence before the
court-martial.
Whatever, therefore, on the whole, may have been
the conduct of Bligh towards his officers, that of
some of the latter appears to have been on several
occasions provoking enough, and well calculated to
stir up the irascible temper of a man active and
zealous in the extreme, as Bhgh always was, in the
execution of his duty. Some excuse may be found
THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION. 123
for hasty expressions uttered in a moment of irri-
tation, when passion gets the better of reason ; hut
no excuse can be found for one who deeply and
unfeeUngly, without provocation, and in cold bkjod,
inflicts a wound on the heart of a widowed mother,
already torn with anguish and tortured with sus-
pense for a beloved son whose life was in imminent
jeopardy : such a man was William Bligh. This
charge is not loosely asserted ; it is founded on
documentary evidence under his own hand. Since
the death of the late Captain Hey wood, some papers
have been brought to hght that throw a still more
unfavourable stigma on the character of the two
commanders, Bligh and Edwards, than any censure
that has hitherto appeared in print, though the con-
duct of neither of them has been spared, whenever
an occasion has presented itself for bringing thp^r
names before the public.
Bligh, it maybe recollected, mentions young Hey-
wood only as one of those left in the ship; he does
not charge him with taking any active part in tlie
mutiny ; there is every reason, indeed, to believe
that Bligh did not, and indeed could not, see him on
the deck on that occasion : in point of fact, he never
was within thirty feet of Captain Bhgh, and the
booms were between them. About the end of
March, IT'^O, two months subsequent to the death
of a most beloved and lamented husband, Mrs. Hey-
wood received the afflicting information, but by
report only, of a mutiny having taken place on board
the Bounty. In that ship Mrs. Heywood's son had
been serving as midshipman, who, when he left his
home, in August, 1787, was under fifteen years of
age, a boy deservedly admired and beloved by all
who knew him, and to his own family almost an
object of adoration, for his superior understanding
and the amiable qualities of his disposition. In a
state of mind little short of distraction, on hearing
tl)ji» fata) intelligence, which was at the same tiniQ
124 THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION.
•
ajrsravaled by every circumstance of guilt that
calumny or malice could invent with respect to this
unr:)rtunate youth, who was said to be one of the
ringleaders, and to have gone armed into the cap-
tain's cabin, his mother addressed a letter to Captain
Bligh, dictated by a mother's tenderness, and strongly
expressive of the misery she must necessarily feel
on such an occasion. The following is Bligh's
reply :—
" London, April 2d, 1790.
" Madam,
" I received your letter this day, and feel for you
very much, being pe^rfectly sensible of the extreme
distress you must suffer from the conduct of youi
son Peter. His baseness is beyond all description ; but
I hope you will endeavour to prevent the loss of him,
heavy as the misfortune is, from afflicting you too
severely. I imagine he is, with the rest of the mu-
tineers, returned to Otaheite. I am, madam,
(Signed) " Wm. Bligh."
Colonel Holweil, the uncle of young Heywood,
had previously addressed Bligh on the same melan-
choly subject, to whom he returned the following
answer : —
" 26th March, 1790.
« Sir,
"I have just this instant received your letter.
With much concern I inform you that your nephew,
Peter Heywood, is among the mutineers. His in-
gratitude to me is of the blackest die, for 1 was a father
to him in every respect, and he never once had an
angry woid from me through the whole course of
the voyage, as his conduct always gave me much
pleasure and satisfaction. I very much regret that so
much baseness formed the character of a young man I had
a real regrard for, and it will give me much pleasure
THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION. 125
to hear that his friends can bear the loss of him with-
out much concern. I am, sir, &c.
(Signed) "Wm. Bligh."
The only way of accounting for this ferocity of
sentiment towards a youth who hud in point of fact
no concern in the mutiny, is by a reference to cer-
tain points of evidence given by Hayward, Hallet,
and Purcell on the court-martial, each point wholly
unsupported. Those in the boat would no doubt
during their long passage, often discuss the conduct
of their messmates left in the Bounty, and the unsup-
ported evidence given by these three was well cal-
culated to create in Bligh's mind a prejudice against
young Heywood ; yet, if so, it affords but a poor
excuse for harrowing up the feelings of near and
dear relatives.
As a contrast to these ungracious letters, it is a
great relief to peruse the correspondence that took
place, on this melancholy occasion, between this
unfortunate young officer and his amiable but dread-
fully afflicted family. The letters of his sister Nessy
Heywood (of which a few will be inserted in the
course of this narrative) exhibit so lively and ardent
an affection for her beloved brother, are couched in
so high a tone of feeling for his honour and confi-
dence in his innocence, and are so nobly answered
by the suffering youth, that no apology seems to be
required for their introduction, more especially as
their contents are strictly connected with the story
of the ill-fated crew of the Bounty. After a state of
long suspense, this amiable and accomplished young
ladv thus addresses her brother : —
" Isle of Man, 2d June, 1793.
" In a situation of mind only rendered supportable
by the long and painful state of misery and suspense
we have suffered on his account, how shall I address
my dear, my fondly beloved brother ! — how describe
K
126 THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION.
the anguish we have felt at the idea of this long' and
painful separation, rendered still more distressing
by the terrible circumstances atteiidin*?: it ! Oh !
my ever dearest boy, when I lock back to that dread-
ful moment which brought us the fatal intellic"ence
that you had remained in the County after Mr. Bligh
had quitted her, and were looked upon by him as a
mutineer! — when I contrast that day of horror with
my present hopes of again beholding you, such as
my most sanguine wishes could expect, I know not
which is the most predominant sensation, — pity,
compassion, and terror for your sufierings, or joy
and satisfaction at the prospect of their being near a
termination, and of once more embracing the dearest
object of our affections.
" I will not ask you, my beloved brother, whether
you are innocent of the dreadful crime of mutiny;
if the transactions of that day were as Mr. Bligh has
represented them, such is my conviction of your
worth and honour that I will, without hesitation,
stake my hfe on your innocence. If, on the con-
trary, you were concerned in such a conspiracy
against your commander, I shall be as firmly per-
suaded his conduct was the occasion of it ; but, alas !
could any occasion justify so atrocious an attempt
to destroy a number of our fellow-creatures ] No,
my ever dearest brother, nothing but conviction
from your own mouth can possibly persuade me that
you would commit an action in the smallest degree
inconsistent with honour and duty ; and the circum-
stance of your having swam off' to the Pandora on
her arrival at Otaheite (which filled us with joy to
which no words can do justice), is sufficient to
convince all who know you, that you certainly
staid behind either by force or from views of pre-
servation.
" How strange does it seem to me that I am now
engaged in the delightful task of writing to you.
A-las ! my beloved brother, two years ago I never
THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION. 127
expected again to enjoy such a felicity, and even
yet I am in the most painful uncertainty whether
you are alive. Gracious God, grant that we may
be at length blessed by your return ! but, alas ! the
Pandora's people have"^been long expected, and are
not even yet arrived. Should any accident have
happened, after all the miseries you have already
suffered, the poor gleam of hope with which we have
been lately indulged will render our situation ten
thousand times more insupportable than if time had
inured us to your loss. 1 send this to the care of
Mr. Hay ward, of Hackney, father to the young gen-
tleman you so often mention in your letters while
you were on board the Bounty, and who w^ent out
as third lieutenant of the Pandora — a circumstance
which gave us infinite satisfaction, as you would,
on entering the Pandora, meet your old friend. On
discovering old Mr. Hay ward's residence, I wrote to
him, as I hoped he could give me some information
respecting the time of your arrival, and in return he
sent me a most friendly letter, and has promised this
shall be given to you when you reach England, as I
well know how great must be your anxiety to hear
of us, and how much satisfaction it will give you to
have a letter immediately on your return. Let me
conjure you, my dearest Peter, to w^ite to us the
very first moment — do not lose a post — 'tis of no
consequence how short your letter may be, if it only
informs us you are well. I need not tell you that
you are the first and dearest object of our affections.
Think, then, my adored boy, of the anxiety we must
feel on your account; for my ow^n part, I can know
no real joy or happiness independent of you, and if
any misfortune should now deprive us of you, my
hopeft of felicity are fled for ever.
" We are at present making all possible interest
with every friend and connexion we have, to ensure
you a sufficient support and protection at your ap-
pi caching trial; for a trial you must unavoidably
l28 THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATIOX.
undergo, in order to convince the world of that inno-
cence which those who know you will not for a mo-
ment doubt; but, alas! while circumstances are
against you, the generality of mankind will judge
severely. Bligh's representations to the Admiralty
are, I am told, very unfavourable ; and hitherto the
tide of public opinion has been greatly in his favour
My mamma is at present well, considering the distress
she has suffered since you left us; for, my dearest
brother, we have experienced a complicated scene
of misery from a variety of causes, which, however,
when compared with the sorrow we felt on your
account, was trifling and insignificant; that misfor-
tune made all others Hght, :md to see you once more
returned and safely restored to us will be the sum-
mit of all earthly happiness.
" Farewell, my most beloved brother ! God grant
this may soon be put into your hands ! Perhaps at
this moment you are arrived in England, and I ma)
soon have the dear delight of again beholding you
My mamma, brothers, andsistersjoinwithme in even
sentiment of love and tenderness. Write to uL
immediately, my ever-loved Peter, and may thri
Almighty preserve you until you bless with youi
presence your fondly affectionate family, and pa/-
ticularly your unalterably faithful friend and sistf /,
(Signed) " Nessy Heywood.'"*
* Previous to the writing of this letter, the following copy of- rsei
shows how anxiously this young lady's nriind was engaged f > the
unhappy circumstauces under which her brother was placed
•'On the tedious and mournful absence of a most beloved brc ther,
who was in the Bounty with Captain Biioh at the time of the f-atal
MUTINY which happened April 28th, 1789, in the South Seas, and who,
instead of returning with the boat when she lelt the ship, staid
behind.
"Tell me, thou busy flatt'ring telltale, why —
Why /low these tears — why heaves this deep-felt sigS,—
Why IS all joy from my sad bosom tlown,
Why lost that cheerfulness 1 thought my own;
Why seek I now in solitude for ease.
Which once was centred in a wish to please.
THE OPEN-BOAT XAVIGATION. 129
Tlife, ^leam of joy which this unhappy family
derived from the circumstance which had been related
When ev'ry hour in joy and gladness pass'd,
And eacli new day shone brighter than the last ;
When in society i lov'd to join ;
Wheii 10 enjoy and give delight was mine T —
Now — sad reverse I — in sorrow wakes each day.
And grief's sad tones inspire each plainiive lay :
Alas ! too [ilain these mournful tears can tell
The pangs of wo my lab'ring bosom swell I
Thou best of brothers— I'riend, corn|>anion, guide,
Joy of my youth, my honour, and my pride I
Lost is all peace —all happiness to me.
And fled all comfort, since depriv'd ofthee
In vain, my Lycidas, thy loss I mourn —
In vain indulge a hope of thy return ;
Still years roll on, and still 1 vaiidy sigh —
Still tears of anguish drown each gushing eye.
Ah, cruel Time I how'slow thy ling'rlng ])ace.
Which keeps me from his tender, lov'd embrace^
Al home to see him, or to know him neai,
How much I wish— and yet how much I fear I
Oh, fatal voyage 1 which robb'd my soul of peace
And wreck'd my happiness in stormy seas I
Why, my lov'd Lycidas, why didst thou stay,
Why waste thy life from friendship far away 1
Though guiltless thou of mutiny or blame,
And free from aught which could disgrace thy name.
Though thy pure soul, in honour's footsteps train'd,
Was never yet by disobedience stain'd ;
Yet is thy faine expos'd to slander's wound,
And fell suspicion whisjiering around.
In vain— to those who knew thy worth and truth,
Who watch'd each opening virtue of thy youth.
When noblest principles infonn'd thy mind,
Where sense and sensibility were join'd ;
Love to inspire, to charm, to win each heart.
And ev'ry tender sentiment impart ;
Thy outward form adorn'd with ev'ry grace ;
With beauty's softest charms thy heavenly face,
Where sweet expression beaming ever prov'd
The index of that soul by all belov'd ;
Thy wit so keen, thy genius form'd to soar,
By fancy wing'd, new science to explore;
Thy temper, ever gentle, good, and kind.
Where all but guilt an advocate could find :
To those who know this character was thine
(And in this truth assenting numbers join),
How vain th' attempt to fix a crime on thee
Which thou disdain'st— from which each thought is fret)
No, my lov'd brother, ne'er will I believe
Thy seeming worth was meant but to deceive;
130 THE OPEN-BOA NAVIGATION.
to them of young- Hey wood's swimming off to the
Pandora, was dissipated by a letter from himself
to his mother soon after his arrival in England, in
which he says: — "The question, my dear mother,
in one of your letters, concerning my s"imming ofl
to the Pandora, is one falsity amjng the too many
in which I have often thought of undeceivmg you
and as frequently forgot. The story was this : — On
the morning she arrived, accompanied by two of my
friends (natives), I was going up the mountains, and
having got about a hundred yards from my own
house, another of my friends (for I was a universal
favourite among those Indians, and perfectly con-
versant in their language) came running after me,
and informed me there was a ship coming. I imme-
diately ascended a rising ground, and, saw, with
indescribable joy, a ship laying-to off Hapiano; it
was just after daylight, and thinking Coleman might
not be awake, and therefore ignorant of this pleasing
news, I sent one of my servants to inform him of
it, upon which he immediately went off in a single
Still will I think (each circumstance though strange)
That thy firm jirinciples could never change;
That hopes of preservation urged thy stay,
Or force, which lliose resistless must ob^v.
If this is error, let me still remjiin
In error v^rapp'd, nor wake to truth again .
Come then, sweet Hope, with all thy train or» joy,
Nor let Despair each rapfrous thought destroy ;
Indulgent Heav'n, in pity to our tears,
At length will bless a parent's sinking years ;
Again shall I behold thy lovely face,
By manhood form'd, and ripen'd ev'ry grace ;
Again I'll press thee to my anxious breast,
And ev'ry sorrow shall be hush'd to rest.
Thy presence only can each comfort give.
Come then, my Lycidas, and let me live ;
Life without thee is but a wretched load,
Thy love alone can smooth its thorny road ;
But, blest with thee, how light were every wo;
How would my soul with joy and rapture glow !
Kind Heav'n I thou iiast my happiness in store,
Restore him innocent — I ask no more I
'Nessy Heywoob
* Isle of Man, Feb. 25th, 1792."
THE OFKN nOAT NAVIGATION. 13
canoe. There was a fresh breeze, and the shi]
working into the bay ; he no sooner got alongside
than the rippling capsized the canoe, and he being
obliged to let go the tow-rope to get her riglited,
went astern and was picked np the next tack and
taken on board the Pandora, he being the first person.
T, along with my messmate Stewart, was then stand-
ing upon the beach with a double canoe manned
wiUi twelve paddles ready for launching; and just
as she made her last tack into her berth (for we did
not think it requisite to go off sooner) we put off and
got alongside just as they streamed the buoy ; and
being dressed in the country manner, tanned as brown
as themselves, and I tattooed like them in the most
curious manner, 1 do not in the least wonder at their
taking us for natives. I was tattooed, not to gratify
my own desire, but theirs ; for it was my constant
endeavour to acquiesce in any little custom which I
thought w^ould be agreeable to them, though painful
in the process, provided I gained by it their friend-
ship and esteem, which you may suppose is no incon-
siderable object in an island where the natives are
so numerous. The more a man or woman there is
tattooed, the more they are respected ; and a person
having none of these marks is looked upon as bear-
ing an unw^orthy badge of disgrace, and considered
as a mere outcast of society."
Among the many anxious friends and family con-
nexions of the Heywoods was Commodore Pasley,
to whom this affectionate young lady addressed her-
self on the melancholy occasion; and the following
is the reply she received from this officer : —
" Sheerness, June 8th, 1792.
" Would to God, my dearest Nessy, that 1 could
rejoice with you on the early prospect of your
brother's arrival in England. One division of the
Pandora's people has arrived, and now on board the
Vengeance (my ship)- Captain Edwards, with the
32 THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION.
remainder, and all the prisoners late of the Bounty,
in number ten (four having been drowned on the loss
of that ship), are daily expected. They have been
most rigorously and closely confined since taken,
and will continue so, no doubt, till Bligh's arrival.
You have no chance of seeing him, for no bail can
be offered. Your inteUigence of his swimming oft
on the Pandora's arrivatis not founded : a man of
the name of Coleman swam off ere she anchored, —
your brother and Mr. Stewart the next day. This
last youth, when the Pandora was lost, refused to
allov/ his irons to be taken off to save his life.
" I cannot conceal it from you, my dearest Nessy,
neither is it proper I should, — your"^brother appears
by all accounts to be the greatest culprit of all,
Christian alone excepted. Every exertion, you may
/est assured, I shall use to save his life ; but on trial
I have no hope of his not being condemned. Three
of the ten who are expected are mentioned in Bligh's
narrative as men detained against their inclination.
Would to God your brother had been one of that
number ! I will not distress you m.ore by enlarging
on this subject; as- inteUigence arises on their arri-
val, you shall be made acquainted. Adieu, my dear-
est Nessy. Present my affectionate remembrances
to your mother and sisters, and believe me always,
with the warmest affection,
*' Your uncle, " Thos. Pasley."
How unlike is this from the letter of Bligh ! while
it frankly apprizes this amiable lady of the real truth
of the case, without disguise, as it was then under-
stood to be from Mr. Bligh's representations, it as-
sures her of his best exertions to save her brother's
life. Every reader of sensibility \vill sympathize in
the feeling displayed in her reply.
''Isle of Man, 22d June, 1792.
"Harassed by the mos^ torturing suspense, and
THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION. 133
miserably wretched as I have been, my dearest uncle,
since the receipt of your last, conceive, if it is pos-
sible, the heartfelt joy and satisfaction we expe-
rienced yesterday morning, when, on the arrival of
the packet, the dear delightful letter from our be-
loved Peter (a copy of which I send you enclosed)
was brought to us. Surely, my excellent friend, you
will agree with me in thinking there could not be a
stronger proof of his innocence and worth, and that
it must prejudice every person who reads it most
powerfully in his favour. Such a letter in less dis-
tressful circumstances than those in which he writes
would, I am persuaded, reflect honour on the pen of
a person much older th^n my poor brother. But
when we consider his extreme youth (only sixteen
at the time of the mutiny, and nov*'- but nineteen),
his fortitude, patience, and manly resignation under
the pressure of suiferings and misfortunes almost
unheard of, and scarcely to be supported at any age,
without the assistance of that which seems to be my
dear brother's greatest comfort, — a quiet conscience,
and a thorough conviction of his own innocence, —
when I add, at the same time, with real pleasure and
satisfaction, that his relation corresponds in many
particulars with the accounts we have hitherto heard
of the fatal mutiny, — and when I also add, with in-
conceivable pride and delight, that my beloved Peter
never was known to breathe a syllable inconsistent
with truth and honour ; — when these circumstances,
my dear uncle, are all united, what man on earth
can doubt of the innocence which could dictate such
a letter 1 In short, let it speak for him. The peru-
sal of his artless and pathetic story will, I am per-
suaded, be a stronger recommendation in his favour
than any thing I can urge.*
"I need not tire your patience, my ever-loved
uncle, by dwelling longer on this subject (the dear-
* This interesting letter is given in the following chapter, to which it
appropriateJy belongs.
L
134 THE PANDORA.
est and most interesting on earth to my heart) ; let
me conjure you only, my kind friend, to read it, and
consider the innocence and defenceless situation of