There is no intention, in narrating this eventful history, to accuse or defend either the character or the conduct of the late Admiral Bligh; it is well known his temper was irritable in the extreme; but the circumstance of his having been the friend of Captain Cook, with whom he sailed as his master,—­of his ever afterwards being patronized by Sir Joseph Banks,—­of the Admiralty promoting him to the rank of commander, appointing him immediately to the Providence, to proceed on the same expedition to Otaheite,—­and of his returning in a very short time to England with complete success, and recommending all his officers for promotion on account of their exemplary conduct;—­of his holding several subsequent employments in the service,—­of his having commanded ships of the line in the battles of Copenhagen and Camperdown,—­and risen to the rank of a flag-officer,—­these may perhaps be considered to speak something in his favour, and be allowed to stand as some proof that, with all his failings, he had his merits.  That he was a man of coarse habits, and entertained very mistaken notions with regard to discipline, is quite true:  yet he had many redeeming qualities.  The accusation, by the writer in question, of Bligh having falsified his ‘narrative,’ is a very heavy charge, and, it is to be feared, is not wholly without foundation; though it would perhaps be more correct to say, that in the printed narrative of his voyage, and the narrative on which the mutineers were tried, there are many important omissions from his original manuscript journal, some of which it will be necessary to notice presently.

The same writer further says, ’We know that the officers fared in every way worse than the men, and that even young Heywood was kept at the mast head no less than eight hours at one spell, in the worst weather which they encountered off Cape Horn.’

Perhaps Heywood may himself be brought forward as authority, if not to disprove, at least to render highly improbable, his experiencing any such treatment on the part of his captain.  This young officer, in his defence, says, ’Captain Bligh, in his narrative, acknowledges that he had 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.’  Bligh, too, has declared in a letter to Heywood’s uncle, Holwell, after accusing him of ingratitude, that ’he never once had an angry word from me during the whole course of the voyage, as his conduct always gave me much pleasure and satisfaction.’