n due course he became an admiral, he
received no special reward from his country. In his earlier years,
at the age of nineteen, he was selected by Sir Joseph Banks, his
friend through life, to serve with Captain Cook as master on board
the _Resolution_, in the year 1774, and sailed for four years on
three voyages with him. After Captain Cook's death the navigation
of the ship devolved on Bligh, who brought her home. After this,
for four years, as commander, he traversed unknown seas. He fought
under Admiral Parker at the Doggerbank, and under Lord Howe at
Gibraltar. After the battle of Copenhagen, where Bligh commanded
the _Glatton_, he was sent for by Lord Nelson to receive his
thanks publicly on his quarter-deck, and the words of the great
hero were--'Bligh, I thank you; you have supported me nobly.' In
the time of the mutiny at the Nore, he rendered great services by
his courage and energetic efforts, recalling many of the
rebellious sailors to their duty and allegiance.

"After the mutiny of the _Bounty_, Bligh, with wonderful skill and
courage, brought the 18 men of his crew, who had been forced with
him into the _Bounty's_ launch, 23 feet long by 6 feet 9 inches
wide--a distance of 6318 miles[H]--safely to Timoa. No words can
say too much of the care he took of them and the devotion shown in
the effort to save them. On his return to England, he was at once
made post-captain as a sign of favour, and he was given two ships,
the _Providence_ and another, to be fitted out at his discretion,
in which to accomplish the objects for which the _Bounty_ was
sent. This he did with perfect success. (In his absence the trial
of the mutineers of the _Bounty_ took place.) As to his
governorship of New South Wales, let anyone read the fourth
chapter of Dr. Lang's history of the colony--Lang was no partisan
or connection of Bligh--which shows beyond dispute that Bligh
acted, as he always did, with the most scrupulous regard to his
duty and instructions, and received from time to time the written
approval of the King, through Lord Castlereagh, then Secretary of
State.

[Footnote H: Mrs. Nutting has here made a mistake in the distance
traversed. Timoa is, of course, meant for Timor. (See page 246.)]

"It has been the pleasure of this generation to malign and
misrepresent this good ma