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 odium would necessarily be attached to the
sentence, I should feel it as one of the happiest events of my life that
I were dismissed from the situation which I now hold under his command.
I now beg that the honourable court will allow the documents I lay upon
the table to be read in support of my character."

When this was over, the court was cleared, that they might decide upon
the sentence. I waited about half an hour in the greatest anxiety, when
I was again summoned to attend. The usual forms of reading the papers
were gone through, and then came the sentence, which was read by the
president, he and the whole court standing up with their cocked hats on
their heads. After the preamble, it concluded with saying, "that it was
the opinion of that court that the charges had been _partly_ proved, and
therefore, that Lieutenant Peter Simple was dismissed his ship; but, in
consideration of his good character and services, his case was strongly
recommended to the consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty."

Chapter LXIII

Peter looks upon his loss as something gained--Goes on board the
_Rattlesnake_ to pack up, and is ordered to pack off--Polite
leave-taking between relations. Mrs Trotter better and better--Goes to
London, and afterwards falls into all manner of misfortunes by the hands
of robbers, and of his own uncle.

I hardly knew whether I felt glad or sorry at this sentence. On the one
hand, it was almost a deathblow to my future advancement or employment
in the service; on the other, the recommendation very much softened down
the sentence, and I was quite happy to be quit of Captain Hawkins, and
free to hasten to my poor sis