Mr. Fryer, the master, called in and examined by Mr. Heywood.—­’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 intrust me with your design; and do you believe I would have favoured 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 had an opportunity of opening my mind to him.’

The same question being put to Mr. Cole, the boatswain, Mr. Peckover, the gunner, and Mr. Purcell, the carpenter, they all answered in the affirmative.

Mr. Heywood asked, ’What was my general conduct, temper, and disposition on board the ship?’ Witness—­’Beloved by everybody, to the best of my recollection.’  To the same question, Mr. Cole answers, ’Always a very good character.’ Mr. Peckover—­’The most amiable, and deserving of every one’s esteem.’ Mr. Purcell—­’In every respect becoming the character of a gentleman, and such as merited the esteem of everybody.’

Mr. Cole being examined, gave his testimony,—­that he never saw Mr. Heywood armed; that he did not consider him of the mutineers’ party; that he saw nothing of levity or apparent merriment in his conduct; that when he was below with Stewart, he heard Churchill call out, ’Keep them below,’ and that he believes Heywood was one of the persons meant—­has no doubt of it at all; that Bligh could not have spoken to him, when on the booms, loud enough to be heard; that Hayward was alarmed, and Hallet alarmed; that he by no means considers Heywood or Morrison as mutineers.

Mr. Purcell being examined, states,—­that, respecting the cutlass on which he saw Mr. Heywood’s hand resting, he does not consider him as being an armed man; that he never thought him as of the mutineers’ party; that he never heard Captain Bligh 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 master-at-arms call out to keep them below; that Mr. Hallet 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 do you do with that?"’ Witness—­’I look upon it as an accidental thing.’