very frivolous."

The next morning, the official letter from the port-admiral came off,
acquainting me that a court-martial had been ordered upon me, and that
it would take place that day week. I immediately resigned the command
to the second lieutenant, and commenced an examination into the charges
preferred. They were very numerous, and dated back almost to the very
day that he had joined the ship. There were twelve in all. I shall not
trouble the reader with the whole of them, as many were very frivolous.
The principal charges were:--

1. For mutinous and disrespectful conduct to Captain Hawkins, on (such
a date), having in a conversation with an inferior officer on the
quarter-deck stated that Captain Hawkins was a spy, and had spies in the
ship.

2. For neglect of duty, in disobeying the orders of Captain Hawkins, on
the night of the --- of ---.

3. For having, on the --- of ---, sent away two boats from the ship, in
direct opposition to the orders of Captain Hawkins.

4. For having again, on the morning of the --- of ---, held mutinous
and disrespectful conversation relative to Captain Hawkins with the
gunner of the ship, allowing the latter to accuse Captain Hawkins of
cowardice, without reporting the same.

5. For insulting expressions on the quarter-deck to Captain Hawkins, on
his rejoining the brig on the morning of the --- of ---.

6. For not causing the orders of Captain Hawkins to be put in force on
several occasions, etcetera, etcetera, etc.

And further, as Captain Hawkins' testimony was necessary in two of the
charges, the King, _on those charges_, was the prosecutor.

Two days before my court-martial, I received a letter from Ellen, who
appeared in a state of distraction from this accumulation of misfortune.
She told me that my father was to be buried the next day, and that the
new rector had written to her, to know when it would be convenient for
the vicarage to be given up. That my father's bills had been sent in,
and amounted to twelve hundred pounds already; and that she knew not the
extent of the whole claims. There appeared to be nothing left but the
furniture of the house; and she wanted to know whether the debts were to
be paid with the money I had left in the funds for her use. I wrote
immediately, requesting her to liquidate every claim, as far as my money
went; sending her an order upon my agent to draw for the whole amount,
and a power of attorney to him, to sell out