ored close to us. I shall not enter into further
particulars, as they will only detain the honourable court; and I am
aware that this court-martial is held upon my conduct, and not upon
that of Captain Hawkins. To the charge of again holding disrespectful
language on the quarter-deck, as overheard by Captain Hawkins, I must
refer the honourable court to the evidence, in which it is plainly
proved that the remarks upon him were not mine, but those of Mr
Swinburne, and that I remonstrated with Mr Swinburne for using such
unguarded expressions. The only point of difficulty is, whether it
was not my duty to have reported such language. I reply, that there
is no proof that I did not intend to report it; but the presence of
Captain Hawkins, who heard what was said, rendered such report
unnecessary.

"On the fifth charge, I must beg that the court will be pleased to
consider that some allowance ought to be made for a moment of
irritation. My character was traduced by Captain Hawkins, supposing
that I was dead; so much so, that even the ship's company cried out
_shame_. I am aware that no language of a superior officer can
warrant a retort from an inferior; but, as what I intended to imply by
that language is not yet known, although Captain Hawkins has given an
explanation to his; I shall merely say, that I meant no more by my
insinuations, than Captain Hawkins did at the time by those which he
made use of with respect to me.

"Upon the other trifling charges brought forward, I lay no stress, as
I consider them fully refuted by the evidence which has been already
adduced; and I shall merely observe, that, for reasons best known to
himself, I have been met with a most decided hostility on the part of
Captain Hawkins, from the time that he first joined the ship; that, on
every occasion, he has used all his efforts to render me
uncomfortable, and embroil me with others; that, not content with
narrowly watching my conduct on board, he has resorted to his
spy-glass from the shore; and, instead of assisting me in the
execution of a duty sufficiently arduous, he has thrown every obstacle
in my way, placed inferior officers as spies over my conduct, and made
me feel so humiliated in the presence of the ship's company, over
which I have had to superintend, and in the disciplining of which I
had a right to look to him for support, that, were it not that some