During the delay which took place in carrying the sentence into execution, Commodore Pasley, Mr. Graham, and others, were indefatigable in their inquiries and exertions to ascertain what progress had been made in bringing to a happy issue the recommendation to the fountain of mercy:  not less so was Nessy Heywood:  from Mr. Graham she learnt what this excellent man considered to be the principal parts of the evidence that led to the conviction of her unhappy brother, which, having understood to be the following, she transmitted to her brother:—­

First.  That he assisted in hoisting out the launch.

Second.  That he was seen by the carpenter resting his hand upon a cutlass.

Third.  That on being called to by Lieutenant Bligh, he laughed.

Fourth.  That he remained in the Bounty instead of accompanying Bligh in the launch.

On these points of the evidence, Mr. Heywood made the following comments, which he sent from Portsmouth to his sister in town.

     ’Peter Heywood’s Remarks upon material points of the evidence
     which was given at his trial, on board the Duke, in
     Portsmouth Harbour.

’First.  That I assisted in hoisting out the launch.—­This boat was asked for by the captain and his officers, and whoever assisted in hoisting her out were their friends; for if the captain had been sent away in the cutter (which was Christian’s first intention), he could not have taken with him more than nine or ten men, whereas the launch carried nineteen.  The boatswain, the master, the gunner, and the carpenter say, in their evidence, that they considered me as helping the captain on this occasion.

’Second.  That I was seen by the carpenter resting my hand on a cutlass.—­I was seen in this position by no other person than the carpenter—­no other person therefore could be intimidated by my appearance.  Was the carpenter intimidated by it?—­No.  So far from being afraid of me, he did not even look upon me in the light of a person armed, but pointed out to me the danger there was of my being thought so, and I immediately took away my hand from the cutlass, upon which I had very innocently put it when I was in a state of stupor.  The Court was particularly pointed in its inquiries into this circumstance; and the carpenter was pressed to declare, on the oath he had taken, and after maturely considering the matter, whether he did, at the time he saw me so situated, or had since been inclined to believe, that, under all the circumstances of the case, I could be considered as an armed man, to which he unequivocally answered, No; and he gave some good reasons (which will be found in his evidence) for thinking that I had not a wish to be armed during the mutiny.  The master, the boatswain, the gunner, Mr. Hayward, Mr. Hallet, and John Smith (who, with the carpenter, were all the witnesses belonging to the Bounty),