your late father and benefactor has instilled into your minds, culled from the precepts of your Bible, and be content for the present to observe those simple rules for your religious and moral conduct, which he has taught you, and which he drew pure and undefiled from that sacred source; and be assured that, so long as you shall adhere to the line of conduct you have hitherto pursued, and be contented with your present lot, your happiness is secure; but once admit ignorant or false teachers among you, and from that period you may date the commencement of misfortunes and misery!

CONCLUSION

Many useful and salutary lessons of conduct may be drawn from this eventful history, more especially by officers of the navy, both old and young, as well as by those subordinate to them.  In the first place, it most strongly points out the dreadful consequences that are almost certain to ensue from a state of insubordination and mutiny on board a ship of war; and the equally certain fate that, at one time or other, awaits all those who have the misfortune to be concerned in a transaction of this revolting nature.  In the present instance, the dreadful retribution which overtook them, and which was evinced in a most extraordinary manner, affords an awful and instructive lesson to seamen, by which they may learn, that although the guilty may be secured for a time in evading the punishment due to the offended laws of society, yet they must not hope to escape the pursuit of Divine vengeance.  It will be recollected that the number of persons who remained in the Bounty, after her piratical seizure, and of course charged with the crime of mutiny, was twenty-five; that these subsequently separated into two parties, sixteen having landed at Otaheite, and afterwards taken from thence in the Pandora, as prisoners, and nine having gone with the Bounty to Pitcairn’s Island.

Of the sixteen taken in the Pandora:—­

     1.  Mr PETER HEYWOOD, midshipman, } sentenced to death,
                                                but pardoned.
     2.  JAMES MORBISON, boatswain’s mate, } do.
     3.  WILLIAM MUSPRATT, commander’s steward,} do.
     4.  THOS.  BURKITT, seaman } condemned and executed.
     5.  JOHN MILLWARD, do. } do.
     6.  THOS.  ELLISON, do. } do.
     7.  JOSEPH COLEMAN, armourer } do.
     8.  CHARLES NORMAN, carpenter’s mate } tried and acquitted.
     9.  THOS.  M’INTOSH, carpenter’s crew } do.
     10.  MICHAEL BYRNE, seaman } do
     11.  Mr. GEORGE STEWART, midshipman } drowned in irons
     12.  JOHN SUMNER, seaman } when the
     13.  RICHARD SKINNER, seaman } Pandora
     14.  HENRY HILLBRANT, cooper } was wrecked.
     15.  CHAS. CHURCHILL, master-at-arms, murdered by Matthew
                                                Thompson.
     16.  MATTHEW THOMPSON, seaman, murdered by Churchill’s
                                                friends in Otaheite.