igh's misfortune not to have been
educated in the cockpit of a man of war, among young gentlemen, which is
to the navy what a public school is to those who are to move in civil
society. What painful sufferings to the individual, and how much misery
to an affectionate family might have been spared, had Bligh, instead of
suppressing, only suffered the passage to stand as originally written in
his journal!

The _remarks_ of young Heywood above recited, were received and
transmitted by his sister Nessy in a letter to the Earl of Chatham, then
first Lord of the Admiralty, of which the following is a copy.

'_Great Russell Street, 11th Oct_. 1792.

'MY LORD,--To a nobleman of your lordship's known humanity and
excellence of heart, I dare hope that the unfortunate cannot
plead in vain. Deeply impressed as I therefore am, with
sentiments of the most profound respect for a character which
I have been ever taught to revere, and alas I nearly
interested as I must be in the subject of these lines, may I
request your lordship will generously pardon a sorrowful and
mourning sister, for presuming to offer the enclosed [remarks]
for your candid perusal. It contains a few observations made
by my most unfortunate and tenderly beloved brother, Peter
Heywood, endeavouring to elucidate some parts of the evidence
given at the court-martial lately held at Portsmouth upon
himself and other prisoners of his Majesty's ship _Bounty_.
When I assure you, my lord, that he is dearer and more
precious to me than any object on earth--nay, infinitely more
valuable than life itself--that, deprived of him, the word
misery would but ill express my complicated wretchedness--and
that, on his fate, my own, and (shall I not add?) that of a
tender, fond, and alas! widowed mother, depends, I am
persuaded you will not wonder, nor be offended, that I am thus
bold in conjuring your lordship will consider, with your usual
candour and benevolence, the "Observations" I now offer you,
as well as the painful situation of my dear and unhappy
brother.--I have the honour, etc.

NESSY HEYWOOD.'

Whether this letter and its enclosure produced any effect on the mind of
Lord Chatham does not appear; but no immediate steps were taken, nor was
any answer given; and this amiable young lady and her friends were
suffered to remain in the most pain