nterval between his second breadfruit voyage
and the date of his governor's commission had been behaving in a manner
worthy of one of Nelson's captains. In 1794 he commanded the _Alexander_
(74), which, with the _Canada_, was attacked off the Scilly Isles in
November by a French squadron of five seventy-fours. The _Alexander_ was
cut off from her consort by three Frenchmen, when Bligh sustained their
attack for three hours, and was then compelled to strike his flag, having
lost only 36 men killed and wounded, while the enemy's loss was 450.

Other splendid service of Bligh is related in the following letter, which
was printed in the _Daily Graphic_ under date London, October 28th, 1897.
The letter was signed "Mary Nutting (_nee_ Bligh), widow of the late
rector of Chastleton, Oxon., Beausale House, Warwick," and as it is a
spirited defence of a naval officer whose personal character has been
impugned by these present writers as well as many others, we reprint the
letter in full:--

"Sir,--There are special circumstances relating to the event of
the battle of Camperdown, the centenary of which was recently
commemorated, which have never been made public. One is the duel
fought between the _Director_ and the _Vryheid_, in which the
Dutch ship was dismasted and destroyed--a naval duel at which no
other ship on either side was present, or within reach or sight.
On the previous day (October 11th, 1797) the English and Dutch
fleets had met, fought, and the Dutch ships were dispersed, or, as
you stated, 'their line was broken.' The Dutch admiral and his
ship, however, escaped, and, no doubt, would have again been seen
at sea had it not been that on October 12th, 1797, the _Director_
came up with the _Vryheid_, and having, after a severe struggle,
first silenced and then boarded her, the Dutch admiral went on
board the English ship, and gave up his sword to the captain. The
captain was Captain (afterwards Admiral) W. Bligh. Strange to say,
in the despatches sent home by Admiral Duncan Captain Bligh was
not mentioned. I have three large water-colour pictures taken from
sketches done by an artist on board the _Director_ at the time of
the battle, showing the _Director_ coming up and attacking the
_Vryheid_, the engagement at its height, and, finally, the
_Vryheid_ dismasted and a wreck. Bligh was a man whose service was
great, and, although i