locker, he saw on the ladder, going upon deck, Mr.
Bligh in his shirt, with his hands tied behind him,
and Christian holding him by the cord; that the master-at-arms,
Churchill, then came to his cabin and took a brace
of pistols and a hanger, saying, ’I will take
care of these, Mr. Fryer’; that he asked, on
seeing Mr. Bligh bound, what they were going to do
with the captain; that Sumner replied, ’D——
n his eyes, put him into the boat, and let the see
if he can live upon three-fourths of a pound of yams
a day’; that he remonstrated with such conduct,
but in vain. They said he must go in the small
cutter. ‘The small cutter!’ Mr. Fryer
exclaimed; ’why her bottom is almost out, and
very much eaten by the worms!’ to which Sumner
and Quintal both said, ‘D——
n his eyes, the boat is too good for him’; that
after much entreaty he prevailed on them to ask Christian
if he might be allowed to go on deck, which, after
some hesitation, was granted. When I came on
deck, says Mr. Fryer, Mr. Bligh was standing by the
mizen-mast, with his hands tied behind him, and Christian
holding the cord with one hand, and a bayonet in the
other. I said, ’Christian, consider what
you are about.’ ‘Hold your tongue,
Sir,’ he said; ’I have been in hell for
weeks past; Captain Bligh has brought all this on himself.’
I told him that Mr. Bligh and he not agreeing was
no reason for taking the ship. ‘Hold your
tongue, Sir,’ he said. I said,—Mr.
Christian, you and I have been on friendly terms during
the voyage, therefore give me leave to speak,—let
Mr. Bligh go down to his cabin, and I make no doubt
we shall all be friends again;—he then
repeated, ’Hold your tongue, Sir; it is too
late’; and threatening me if I said anything
more. Mr. Fryer then asked him to give a better
boat than the cutter; he said, ’No, that boat
is good enough.’ Bligh now said to the master,
that the man behind the hen-coops (Isaac Martin) was
his friend, and desired him (the master) to knock
Christian down, which Christian must have heard, but
took no notice; that Fryer then attempted to get past
Christian to speak to Martin, but he put his bayonet
to his breast, saying, ’Sir, if you advance
an inch farther, I will run you through,’ and
ordered two armed men to take him down to his cabin.
Shortly afterwards he was desired to go on deck, when
Christian ordered him into the boat: he said,
’I will stay with you, if you will give me leave.’
‘No, Sir,’ he replied, ’go directly
into the boat.’ Bligh, then on the gangway,
said, ’Mr. Fryer, stay in the ship.’
‘No, by G—— d, Sir,’
Christian said, ’go into the boat, or I will
run you through.’ Mr. Fryer states, that
during this time very bad language was used by the
people towards Mr. Bligh; that with great difficulty
they prevailed on Christian to suffer a few articles
to be put into the boat; that after the persons were
ordered into the boat to the number of nineteen, such
opprobrious language continued to be used, several
of the men calling out ‘Shoot the——,’