MEMOIR OF THE LATE CAPTAIN PETER HEYWOOD, R. N. WITH EXTRACTS FROM HIS DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE. BY EDWARD TAGART. Who is the happy Warrior? Who is he And therefore does not stoop, nor lie in wait For wealth or honours, or for worldly state ;- To homefelt pleasures and to gentle scenes. WORDSWORTH. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY EFFINGHAM WILSON, ROYAL EXCHANGE. BIBLIOTHECA REGLA MONACENSIS. Bayerische PRINTED BY GEORGE SMALLFIELD, HACKNEY. PREFACE. THE Word Memoir' is prefixed to this Volume only because the work appeared too long for a humbler title. Notices of Captain Heywood's life have already been laid before the public in Marshall's Naval Biography, in the United Service Journal for April 1831, and in the History of the Mutiny of the Bounty. Of these sources of information the author of this volume has freely availed himself; he trusts not in a manner for which this general acknowledgment will not be considered satisfactory. Having been favoured with the perusal of the family volume containing the transactions and correspondence which took place at the time of the trial, he had formed the design of drawing up a sketch of Captain Heywood's character and eventful history before the two last-mentioned writings appeared. That correspondence is of itself quite worthy of appearing in a detached form. Had there been no important additions to make to what was already before the public, two inducements to attempt this presented themselves to his mind;-one, to afford to many of his own friends a portion of the pleasure which he had himself experienced in his acquaint A ance with the subject of this Memoir, combined with some particulars respecting him which they would probably never gain from any other source;-the other, to avail himself of the interest attached to Captain Heywood's life, and the respect very widely felt for his character, to draw attention to those religious views which certainly were a marked feature in that character, were mainly connected with his vigorous intellect and right feelings, and, in the author's opinion; are the only true foundation of that love to God and love to man which constitute the essence of the gospel. Yet the author is sensible that he owes some apology to Captain Heywood's family, and to many respected friends, for venturing to set forth a work to which he cannot be qualified to do justice. With regard to Captain Heywood's merits as an officer, as a scientific, intelligent, and honourable member of the naval profession, he can merely repeat what has been already said of him, or gather a little from some very imperfect memoranda. His contemporaries in the service are probably aware that he manifested talents of a very superior order on various occasions, which do not appear in any writings respecting him, and which, if they did appear, the author of this volume, from his wholly different sphere of pursuit, would be incapable of properly appreciating. Captain Heywood was among the first who paid particular attention to the use of Chronometers at sea, and aided in bringing that art to perfection. The arrangement of the signals at present in use in the English Navy is understood to have been indebted to him for some very beneficial suggestions. He constructed many valuable Charts of seas whose navigation was wholly unknown before he registered his observations. But perhaps his chief excellence as an officer was the activity and singleness of his attention to the duties of his station-his conscientiousness in their discharge-together with an entire freedom from ordinary weaknesses of character, from selfish ends and aims, which gave him an easy superiority in command, and invariably attached all around him to his person. It was the author's chief wish to exhibit his character as a man. But for this also, his qualifications are feeble. Acquainted with him only a short time before his death, and that when his health was declining, how many traits of character must have escaped his knowledge! A great and good character, like one of nature's varied landscapes, may be admired at the first glance, but it requires to be seen in every variety of light and shade, to be again and again contemplated from one advantageous position and another, before all its value can be appreciated. How many scenes are there, that can never appear at first to the eye of the most ardent and tasteful |