ed his purpose.

There is a passage in Captain Beechey's account of Pitcairn Island,
which, if correct, would cast a stain on the memory of the unfortunate
Stewart--who, if there was one innocent man in the ship, was that man.
Captain Beechey says (speaking of Christian), 'His plan, strange as it
must appear for a young officer to adopt, who was fairly advanced in an
honourable profession, was to set himself adrift upon a raft, and make
his way to the island (Tofoa) then in sight. As quick in the execution
as in the design, the raft was soon constructed, various useful articles
were got together, and he was on the point of launching it, when a young
officer, _who afterwards perished in the Pandora_, to whom Christian
communicated his intention, recommended him, rather than risk his life
on so hazardous an expedition, _to endeavour to take possession of the
ship_, which he thought would not be very difficult, as many of the
ship's company were not well disposed towards the commander, and would
all be very glad to return to Otaheite, and reside among their friends
in that island. This daring proposition is even more extraordinary than
the premeditated scheme of his companion, and, if true, certainly
relieves Christian from part of the odium which has hitherto attached to
him as the sole instigator of the mutiny.' Relieve him?--not a jot--but
on the best authority it may boldly be stated, that it is _not_
true--the authority of Stewart's friend and messmate, the late Captain
Heywood.

Captain Beechey, desirous of being correct in his statement, very
properly sent his chapter on Pitcairn's Island for any observations
Captain Heywood might have to make on what was said therein regarding
the mutiny; observing in his note which accompanied it, that this
account, received from Adams, differed materially from a footnote in
Marshall's _Naval Biography_; to which Captain Heywood returned the
following reply.

'_5th April_, 1830.

'DEAR SIR,--I have perused the account you received from Adams
of the mutiny in the _Bounty_, which does indeed differ very
materially from a footnote in Marshall's _Naval Biography_, by
the editor, to whom I verbally detailed the facts, which are
strictly true.

'That Christian informed the boatswain and the carpenter,
Messrs. Hayward and Stewart, of his determination to leave the
ship upon a raft, on the night preceding the mutiny, is
certain; b