David Bianculli

They must try to tell a convincing tale in order to spare their lives. And during this battle over information, there is disinformation. It's just like today. There is misinformation, disinformation. There were even allegations of fake journals and a kind of fake news of the 18th century.

So Bulkley and Cheap are called to a court-martial hearing by the Navy. And Bulkley is concerned he's going to have to defend himself against the charge of mutiny. And Cheap's main concern is that he's going to face a charge of murder, which is punishable by death for the shooting of the midshipman Henry Cousins. The court-martial actually takes a surprising turn. What happens there? Yeah.

So Bulkley and Cheap are called to a court-martial hearing by the Navy. And Bulkley is concerned he's going to have to defend himself against the charge of mutiny. And Cheap's main concern is that he's going to face a charge of murder, which is punishable by death for the shooting of the midshipman Henry Cousins. The court-martial actually takes a surprising turn. What happens there? Yeah.

So Bulkley and Cheap are called to a court-martial hearing by the Navy. And Bulkley is concerned he's going to have to defend himself against the charge of mutiny. And Cheap's main concern is that he's going to face a charge of murder, which is punishable by death for the shooting of the midshipman Henry Cousins. The court-martial actually takes a surprising turn. What happens there? Yeah.

Yeah, so many of them fear they're going to be hanged, and they have good reason to fear that, given the naval code, given that this had been a full-blown mutiny, given that Jeep had shot somebody without asking questions, without a proceeding. Some of them prayed before going in. But when they go into the court-martial, something astonishing happens, right?

Yeah, so many of them fear they're going to be hanged, and they have good reason to fear that, given the naval code, given that this had been a full-blown mutiny, given that Jeep had shot somebody without asking questions, without a proceeding. Some of them prayed before going in. But when they go into the court-martial, something astonishing happens, right?

Yeah, so many of them fear they're going to be hanged, and they have good reason to fear that, given the naval code, given that this had been a full-blown mutiny, given that Jeep had shot somebody without asking questions, without a proceeding. Some of them prayed before going in. But when they go into the court-martial, something astonishing happens, right?

They aren't asked about anything that happened on that island, none of the alleged crimes. Instead, they're only asked about what had caused the shipwreck. I would compare it to the authorities stopping a car and finding a dead body in the trunk and asking the driver only why he or she had a busted taillight.

They aren't asked about anything that happened on that island, none of the alleged crimes. Instead, they're only asked about what had caused the shipwreck. I would compare it to the authorities stopping a car and finding a dead body in the trunk and asking the driver only why he or she had a busted taillight.

They aren't asked about anything that happened on that island, none of the alleged crimes. Instead, they're only asked about what had caused the shipwreck. I would compare it to the authorities stopping a car and finding a dead body in the trunk and asking the driver only why he or she had a busted taillight.

And it turned out that the Admiralty and those in power really didn't like any of these stories.

And it turned out that the Admiralty and those in power really didn't like any of these stories.

And it turned out that the Admiralty and those in power really didn't like any of these stories.

Right. And Bulkley and Cheap, while they have a lot of concerns about each other's behavior on the ship and who is responsible for the wreckage of the ship, they decide to censor themselves because they see the way that the court-martial is going, that they're not going to have to face those more serious crimes.

Right. And Bulkley and Cheap, while they have a lot of concerns about each other's behavior on the ship and who is responsible for the wreckage of the ship, they decide to censor themselves because they see the way that the court-martial is going, that they're not going to have to face those more serious crimes.

Right. And Bulkley and Cheap, while they have a lot of concerns about each other's behavior on the ship and who is responsible for the wreckage of the ship, they decide to censor themselves because they see the way that the court-martial is going, that they're not going to have to face those more serious crimes.

Yes. And after that single proceeding about what it calls the wreck, everybody is let go. And it became, as one naval historian called it, the mutiny that never was.

Yes. And after that single proceeding about what it calls the wreck, everybody is let go. And it became, as one naval historian called it, the mutiny that never was.

Yes. And after that single proceeding about what it calls the wreck, everybody is let go. And it became, as one naval historian called it, the mutiny that never was.

And you say that the Navy behaved this way because the whole affair had just been a public relations disaster for them and the British Empire. What do you mean by that?