ADMIEAL BLIGH. 47 
A few words respecting Bligh will be in- 
teresting. It appears by the register of St. 
Andrew's, Plymouth, that William, son of 
Francis and Jane Bligh, was baptized at that 
church, Oct. 4th, 1754. The general resi- 
dence of the family was near Bodmin. 
After the Court-Martial on the mutineers, 
in 1792, Bligh was made a Commander, and 
then a Post Captain ; the three years' service, 
according to regulation, being, in his case, 
dispensed with as a mark of favour. 
Having been again employed to visit the 
South Seas, he fully succeeded in conveying 
the bread-fruit plant to the West Indies ; 
and for this, in 1794, he received a gold medal 
from the Society of Arts. 
In the same year he issued an answer to 
certain allegations, which had been pub- 
lished to his prejudice, and replied with 
much calmness to what he styled, " Mr. 
Edward Christian's defence of his brother." 
In the preface to his answer, which consists 
chiefly of original documents, by way of 
"proofs," he said; "One of the hardest 
cases which can befall any man is to be 
reduced to the necessity of defending his 
