OD.'

His witnesses fully established the facts which he assumed in this
defence. He then delivered to the president a paper, of which the
following is a copy:--

'My Lord,--the Court having heard the witnesses I have been
enabled to call, it will be unnecessary to add anything to
their testimony in point of fact, or to observe upon it by way
of illustration. It is, I trust, sufficient to do away any
suspicion which may have fallen upon me, and to remove every
implication of guilt which, while unexplained, might by
possibility have attached to me. It is true I have, by the
absence of Captain Bligh, Simpson, and Tinkler, been deprived
of the opportunity of laying before the Court much that would
at least have been grateful to my feelings, though I hope not
necessary to my defence; as the former must have exculpated me
from the least disrespect, and the two last would have proved
past all contradiction that I was unjustly accused. I might
regret that in their absence I have been arraigned, but, thank
heaven, I have been enabled, by the very witnesses who were
called to criminate me, to oppose facts to opinions, and give
explanation to circumstances of suspicion.

'It has been proved that I was asleep at the time of the
mutiny, and waked only to confusion and dismay. It has been
proved, it is true, that I continued on board the ship, but it
has been also proved I was detained by force; and to this I
must add, I left the society of those with whom I was for a
time obliged to associate, as soon as possible, and with
unbounded satisfaction resigned myself to the Captain of the
_Pandora_, to whom I gave myself up, to whom I also delivered
my journal[25] (faithfully brought up to the preceding day),
and to whom I also gave every information in my power. I could
do no more; for at the first time we were at Otaheite it was
impossible for me, watched and suspected as I was, to separate
from the ship. My information to Captain Edwards was open,
sincere, and unqualified, and I had many opportunities given
me at different times of repeating it. Had a track been open
to my native country, I should have followed it; had a vessel
arrived earlier, I should earlier with the same eagerness have
embraced the opportunity, for I dreaded not an inquiry in
which