congratulating themselves on the
pleasing prospect of fine weather and a full moon, to light them through
Endeavour's dangerous straits, the unhappy and deluded Christian was, in
all probability, brooding over his wrongs, and meditating on the
criminal act he was to perpetrate the following morning; for he has
himself stated, that he had just fallen asleep about half after three in
the morning, and was much out of order.

The evidence on the court-martial is sufficiently explicit as to the
mode in which this act of piracy was committed. By the Journal of James
Morrison, the following is the account of the transaction, as given by
Christian himself to the two midshipmen, Heywood and Stewart (both of
whom had been kept below), the moment they were allowed to come upon
deck, after the boat, in which were Bligh and his companions, had been
turned adrift.

He said, that, 'finding himself much hurt by the treatment he had
received from Lieutenant Bligh, he had determined to quit the ship the
preceding evening, and had informed the boatswain, carpenter, and two
midshipmen (Stewart and Hayward), of his intention to do so; that by
them he was supplied with part of a roasted pig, some nails, beads, and
other articles of trade, which he put into a bag that was given him by
the last-named gentleman; that he put this bag into the clue of Robert
Tinkler's hammock, where it was discovered by that young gentleman when
going to bed at night, but the business was smothered, and passed off
without any further notice. He said he had fastened some staves to a
stout plank, with which he intended to make his escape; but finding he
could not effect it during the first and middle watches, as the ship had
no way through the water, and the people were all moving about, he laid
down to rest about half-past three in the morning; that when Mr. Stewart
called him to relieve the deck at four o'clock, he had but just fallen
asleep, and was much out of order; upon observing which, Mr. Stewart
strenuously advised him to abandon his intention; that as soon as he had
taken charge of the deck, he saw Mr. Hayward, the mate of his watch, lie
down on the arm-chest to take a nap; and finding that Mr. Hallet, the
other midshipman, did not make his appearance, he suddenly formed the
resolution of seizing the ship. Disclosing his intention to Matthew
Quintal and Isaac Martin, both of whom had been flogged by Lieutenant
Bligh, they called up Charles Churchill, wh