rovidence_, to proceed on the same
expedition to Otaheite,--and of his returning in a very short time to
England with complete success, and recommending all his officers for
promotion on account of their exemplary conduct;--of his holding several
subsequent employments in the service,--of his having commanded ships of
the line in the battles of Copenhagen and Camperdown,--and risen to the
rank of a flag-officer,--these may perhaps be considered to speak
something in his favour, and be allowed to stand as some proof that,
with all his failings, he had his merits. That he was a man of coarse
habits, and entertained very mistaken notions with regard to discipline,
is quite true: yet he had many redeeming qualities. The accusation, by
the writer in question, of Bligh having falsified his 'narrative,' is a
very heavy charge, and, it is to be feared, is not wholly without
foundation; though it would perhaps be more correct to say, that in the
printed narrative of his voyage, and the narrative on which the
mutineers were tried, there are many important omissions from his
original manuscript journal, some of which it will be necessary to
notice presently.

The same writer further says, 'We know that the officers fared in every
way worse than the men, and that even young Heywood was kept at the mast
head no less than eight hours at one spell, in the worst weather which
they encountered off Cape Horn.'

Perhaps Heywood may himself be brought forward as authority, if not to
disprove, at least to render highly improbable, his experiencing any
such treatment on the part of his captain. This young officer, in his
defence, says, 'Captain Bligh, in his narrative, acknowledges that he
had left some friends on board the _Bounty_, and no part of my conduct
could have induced him to believe that I ought not to be reckoned of the
number. Indeed, from his attention to, _and very kind treatment of me
personally_, I should have been a monster of depravity to have betrayed
him. The idea alone is sufficient to disturb a mind, where humanity and
gratitude have, I hope, ever been noticed as its characteristic
features.' Bligh, too, has declared in a letter to Heywood's uncle,
Holwell, after accusing him of ingratitude, that 'he never once had an
angry word from me during the whole course of the voyage, as his conduct
always gave me much pleasure and satisfaction.'

In looking over a manuscript journal, kept by Morrison, the boatswain's
mate, wh