down to rest about half-past three in the morning. When Mr. Stewart called him to relieve the deck at four o’clock[1], he had but just fallen asleep, and was much out of order; upon observing which Mr. Stewart strenuously advised him to abandon his intention. Soon after he had taken charge of the deck, he saw Mr. Hayward, the mate of his watch, He 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 previously flogged by Lieutenant Bligh, they called up Charles Churchill, who had also tasted the cat, and Matthew Thompson, both of whom readily joined in the plot. Alexander Smith, John Williams, and William M‘Koy, evinced equal willingness, and went with Churchill to the armourer, of whom they obtained the keys of the arm-chests, under pretence of wanting a musket to fire at a shark then alongside. Finding Mr. Hallet asleep on an arm-chest in the main-hatchway, they roused and sent him on deck. Charles Norman, unconscious of their proceedings, had in the mean time awaked Mr. Hayward and directed his attention to the shark, whose movements he was watching at the moment that Mr. Christian and his confederates came up the fore-hatchway, after having placed arms in the hands of several men who were not aware of their design. One man, Matthew Thompson, was left in charge of the chest, and he served out arms to Thomas Burkitt and Robert Lamb. Mr. Christian then proceeded to secure Lieutenant Bligh, the Master, Gunner, and Botanist. The former was brought upon deck in the state I have already described, and the latter were strictly guarded by two centinels, one posted at the Master’s cabin door, and the other at the top of the after-cockpit ladder.
“When Mr. Christian related the above circumstances, I recollected having seen him fasten some staves to a plank lying on the larboard gangway, as also having heard the Boatswain say to the Carpenter, ‘It will not do to night,’ I likewise remembered that Mr. Christian had visited the fore-cockpit several times that evening, although he had very seldom, if ever, frequented the warrant officers’ cabins before.
“The conduct of the officers on this melancholy occasion was dastardly beyond description; none of them ever making the least attempt to counteract Mr. Christian’s intentions, which might easily have been effected, as several of the men who were armed had no idea of what was about to take place. Robert Lamb, whom I found standing sentry at the fore hatchway, when I first came upon deck, was one of those who went away in the launch with Lieutenant Bligh; and Isaac Martin, who was one of the ftrst persons Mr. Christian invited to assist him, threw his arms aside and jumped into the boat, but was compelled to return on board again. The officers’ passive obedience to Mr. Christian’s orders even surprised him-- ↑ Mr. Christian received a written order to do duty as a Lieutenant shortly after the Bounty sailed from Teneriffe, and from that period he had had charge of a watch.
