HEYWOOD IN PRISON. 69 
them, by my example, to bear up with forti- 
tude and resignation to the divine will, under 
their load of misfortunes, almost too great 
for female nature to support. And teach 
them to be fully persuaded that all hopes of 
happiness on earth are vain. On my own 
account I still enjoy the most easy serenity 
of mind, and am, dearest sir, your greatly 
indebted and most dutiful, but ill-fated, 
" PETER HEYWOOD." 
It was natural for a young man, whose spirit 
had been well-nigh broken by sorrows of 
different kinds, to view his case on the dark 
side. Many circumstances had, indeed, come 
out in his favour. Bligh, when writing to 
Colonel Holwell, an uncle of Peter's, said, 
" His conduct had always given me much 
pleasure and satisfaction." But then it had 
been alleged at the trial, that he had as- 
sisted in hoisting out the launch ; that he 
had been seen by the carpenter, resting his 
hand on a cutlass ; and that he had laughed, 
on being called to by Bligh. His comments 
on these charges were forwarded by him to 
Lord Chatham, who then presided at the Ad- 
