“Thus authorised by Captain Bligh, I proceeded to Major Johnstone with the despatches, and communicated to him, by the particular desire of Captain Bligh himself, that I had been at Government-House, and what had there passed. It does not become me, perhaps, to expatiate on this occurrence. The Court will here see Captain Bligh declining all authority or power, both as governor of the colony, and commander of His Majesty’s ships, under a pledge of his solemn word of honor, as an officer and a gentleman, under no compulsion (as he himself stated) but to purchase an increased personal liberty, and seeking a sort of merit of the confessed surrender of his authority, by desiring I would communicate to Major Johnstone what had transpired at my interview at Government House. The feelings which arose in my mind on that occasion will occur to every member of this Honorable Court. If Captain Bligh was unjustly deprived of his authority, the proud spirit of the navy would perhaps have expected, that he would have disdained to outlive his command, and still more, that he would have spurned to negociate for a little extension of personal liberty, by a formal recognition of his suspension, even for one hour.
“Although there be an apparent contradiction in the evidence given yesterday by Mr. Griffin, to the statement I have now the honor to make, yet I feel a perfect assurance, before the evidence I mean to produce is closed, that this Honorable Court will be convinced that the testimony of that solitary witness, is, to speak in the mildest terms of it, both inconsistent and contradictory; and that his zeal to support the cause for which he has been brought forward, has induced him to throw a weight on the one scale, evidently designed to preponderate to my prejudice.
“The subsequent conduct of Captain Bligh renders these observations a painful duty. The Court will hereafter perceive him on one day, in a solemn and formal manner, recognizing his suspension, and on another day, and in one instance, on the very same day, wantonly and dangerously asserting his authority, involving me in the most perplexing embarrassment, himself in mortifying contradiction, and, at the same time, risking the peace of the colony, by vain efforts to violate the solemn pledge he had come under, as an officer and a gentleman.
“On the 13th of April I received a letter from Major Johnstone, inclosing a commission from Captain Bligh, appointing me commander of His Majesty’s ship the Porpoise, in the place of John Putland, Esq. deceased. In that letter Major Johnstone informed me, that although he had granted Captain Bligh permission to send me this commission through his hands, the peace of the colony, and the welfare of His Majesty’s service, required that I should hold no further communication with him, either by letters or messages; and for my satisfaction and authority, he inclosed me a copy of a letter, wherein Captain Bligh solemnly pledges his word of honor as an officer, that he will not assume any command whatever until His Majesty’s pleasure is known on his supercession; and
