hailing the Ship, asking her Name and that of the Captain, M^r
Guthrie ans^d that it was the Providence commanded by Captⁿ
Bligh, who will be very happy to see you and ^ ^your retinue on board,
most noble Neptune, Neptune ans^d that he would pay him and
Visit his Children whom he had not seen before, a Visit, accordingly
^ ^he comes out of the Head where this porrou had ^ ^paƒsd seated on his Carr,i,e
a main hatchway Grating, born by Seamen who were those that
had croƒsed the Line and were all in his Retinue, after we found
by their Talk on Deck, that M^r Neptune was ^fairly on board, we anxiously
waited to know what would be come next, presently two Seamen came
down who stiled [sic] themselves Constables, came down with their Faces
blackd [sic], deputed by Neptune to bring up M^r Nichols who was first
upon the List, they tied a Handkerchief over his Eyes and led him
up the after Hatchway, walking on each side of him with Tri-
-dents or Broomsticks in their Hands as marks of their Authority,
we soon heard a swashing of Water on Deck and a great deal of talk-
-ing and laughing, presently they came down for another and ano-
-ther and then for poor I, they blinded me, led me upon Deck,
and made me sit down, Oh this Gallows thinks I, however they
began to tell me, that Neptune was come on board, they hopd [sic] I would
not let him go without something to drink, and askd [sic] me how
much I proposd [sic] to give him, bidding me remember, the Gallows
the Razor and Lawder , "I'm shure [sic] I don't know, I ^am willing to
give the same as the Last, but how much; why – how much do you
want, one answers, the Gentleman wont think much of a Gal-
-low, no says another, half a one will do, the Captain says, why
he must give you ^ ^a Bottle, the same as the rest, yes Sir says Neptune
a Bottle will do, and addreƒsing himself to me, you'l [sic] give us a Bot-
-tle of Liquor Sir! O Yes, with all my Heart, then share give the Gen-
-tleman the white Lawder, accordingly they began to daub my face