'_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_), say, in their evidence,
that they did not, _any of them,_ see me armed; and the
boatswain and the carpenter further say, in the most pointed
terms, that they considered me to be one of the captain's
party, and _by no means_ as belonging to the mutineers: and
the master, the boatswain, the carpenter, the gunner, all
declare that, from what they observed on my conduct during the
mutiny, and from a recollection of my behaviour previous
thereto, they were convinced I would have afforded them all
the assistance in my power, if an opportunity had offered to
retake the ship.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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