Charles Norman, unconscious of their proceedings, had in the meantime awaked Mr.Hayward, and directed his attention to the shark, whose movements he was watching at the moment that Mr.Christian and his confederates came up the fore-hatchway, after having placed arms in the hands of several men who were not aware of their design.

One man, Matthew Thompson, was left in charge of the chest, and he served out arms to Thomas Burkitt and Robert Lamb.

Mr.Christian said he then proceeded to secure Lieutenant Bligh, the master, gunner, and botanist.' 'When Mr.Christian,' observes Morrison in his Journal, 'related the above circumstances, I recollected having seen him fasten some staves to a plank lying on the larboard gangway, as also having heard the boatswain say to the carpenter, "it will not do to-night." I likewise remembered that; Mr.Christian had visited the fore-cockpit several times that evening, although he had very seldom, if ever, frequented the warrant-officers' cabins before.' If this be a correct statement, and the greater part of it is borne out by evidence on the court-martial, it removes every doubt of Christian being the sole instigator of the mutiny, and that no conspiracy nor pre-concerted measures had any existence, but that it was suddenly conceived by a hot-headed young man, in a state of great excitement of mind, amounting to a temporary aberration of intellect, caused by the frequent abusive and insulting language of his commanding officer.
Waking out of a short half hour's disturbed sleep, to take the command of the deck--finding the two mates of the watch, Hayward and Hallet, asleep (for which they ought to have been dismissed the service instead of being, as they were, promoted)--the opportunity tempting, and the ship completely in his power, with a momentary impulse he darted down the fore-hatchway, got possession of the keys of the arm-chest, and made the hazardous experiment of arming such of the men as he thought he could trust, and effected 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.