He had agreed to the Ariadne joining the mutinous ships, and he had skilfully constructed petitions to the Admiralty, the House of Commons, and the King.

His habit of thought, his knowledge of life, made him a power.

He believed that the main demands of the seamen were just, and he made a useful organization to enforce them.

It was only when he saw the mutineers would not accept the terms granted to the Spithead rebels that a new spirit influenced him.
He had determined to get control of the Ariadne.

His gift as a speaker had conquered his fellow-sailors, and the fact that he was an ex-convict gave them confidence that he was no friend of the government.
One of the first things he did, after securing his own pre-eminence on the ship, was to get the captain and officers safely ashore.