launch along-side, and as I was standing upon the booms on the starboard side, abreast of the main hatchway, Charles Churchhill, the master-atarms, came up to me, with a bayonet and cartouch-box buckled round his waist, and a small pistol, (the same which I had before seen sticking out of Christian’s pocket) in his hand, and said to me, ‘What are you going to do ?’ I answered what I thought leaned to the side of rectitude, and added, ‘I think I shall remain in the ship.’ Just then Mr. George Stewart came towards me, and asking the same question, I gave him a similar answer. But he said, ‘Don’t think of it; for, if you stay, you’ll incur an equal portion of guilt with the mutineers, though you’ve no hand in the mutiny – come down to the berth with me; let us get two or three necessaries, and go in the launch with the Captain.’ Churchill then turned to him, and said, ‘Why; Mr. Stewart, I thought you had been a man of more spirit:’ to whom he replied, ‘yes, Churchill, but I won’t bite off my nose to be revenged upon my face.’ I knowing Mr. Stewart to be an experienced naval officer, was at once persuaded by him; yet I had some doubts of his knowledge when I called to mind the wishes of the other officers, (so similar to my own, to remain in the ship) who ought likewise to know as well; I was, therefore, in the most painful dilemma. However, taking his advice, I jumped down the hatchway with him, but no sooner had we got into our berth, than Churchill called down to Matthew Thompson, the sentry over the armchest, saying, ‘Don’t let either of them come out of the berth till I give you orders.’ Mr. Stewart having taken his pocket book out of his chest, attempted to leave the berth; but Thompson pointed a pistol towards his breast, saying, ‘Don’t you hear the orders I have just received, you had better stay where you are.’ Mr. Stewart then hailed Churchill, and said, ‘If you won’t let us go, I desire you’ll inform the Captain that we are detained by force.’ To which he replied, ‘Aye, aye, I’ll take care of that.’ I remained in the berth till Churchill told Thompson to let me come upon deck, but the launch was then far astern[1].”
Mr. Heywood, in the succeeding portion of his defence, gives a brief account of his sufferings in consequence of the rash and unjustifiable conduct of Mr. Christian; after which, and describing in the most pathetic manner his anxiety for the safety of those who had been so inhumanly turned adrift, he proceeds as follows:
- ↑ Mr. Stewart was no sooner released than he demanded of Christian the reason of his detention; upon which the latter denied having given any directions to that effect, and his assertion was corroborated by Churchill, who declared that he had kept both him and Mr. Heywood below, knowing it was their intention to go away with Bligh; “in which case,” added he, “what would become of us if any thing should happen to you; who is there but yourself and them to depend upon in navigating the ship?”
