Names. Stations.
JOHN FRYER Master.
THOMAS LEDWARD Acting Surgeon.
DAVID NELSON Botanist.
WILLIAM PECKOVER Gunner.
WILLIAM COLE Boatswain.
WILLIAM PURCELL Carpenter.
WILLIAM ELPHINSTON Master's Mate.
THOMAS HAYWARD } Midshipmen.
JOHN HALLETT }
JOHN NORTON } Quarter Masters.
PETER LINKLETTER }
LAWRENCE LEBOGUE Sailmaker.
JOHN SMITH } Cooks.
THOMAS HALL }
GEORGE SIMPSON Quarter Master's Mate.
ROBERT TINKLER A boy.
ROBERT LAMB Butcher.
MR. SAMUEL Clerk.
There remained on board the Bounty, as pirates,
FLETCHER CHRISTIAN Master's Mate.
PETER HAYWOOD }
EDWARD YOUNG } Midshipmen.
GEORGE STEWART }
CHARLES CHURCHILL Master at Arms.
JOHN MILLS Gunner's Mate.
JAMES MORRISON Boatswain's Mate.
THOMAS BURKITT Able Seaman.
MATTHEW QUINTAL Ditto.
JOHN SUMNER Ditto.
JOHN MILLWARD Ditto.
WILLIAM M'KOY Ditto.
HENRY HILLBRANT Ditto.
MICHAEL BYRNE Ditto.
WILLIAM MUSPRAT Ditto.
ALEXANDER SMITH Ditto.
JOHN WILLIAMS Ditto.
THOMAS ELLISON Ditto.
ISAAC MARTIN Ditto.
RICHARD SKINNER Ditto.
MATTHEW THOMPSON Ditto.
WILLIAM BROWN Gardiner.
JOSEPH COLEMAN Armourer.
CHARLES NORMAN Carpenter's Mate.
THOMAS M'INTOSH Carpenter's Crew.
In all 25 hands, and the most able men of the ship's company.
[Sidenote: 1789. APRIL.]
Having little or no wind, we rowed pretty fast towards Tofoa, which bore
N E about 10 leagues from us. While the ship was in sight she steered to
the W N W, but I considered this only as a feint; for when we were sent
away--"Huzza for Otaheite," was frequently heard among the mutineers.
Christian, the captain of the gang, is of a respectable family in the
north of England. This was the third voyage he had made with me; and, as
I found it necessary to keep my ship's company at three watches, I gave
him an order to take charge of the third, his abilities being thoroughly
equal to the task; and by this means my master and gunner were not at
watch and watch.
[Sidenote: 1789. APRIL.]
Haywood is also of a respectable family in the north of England, and a
young man of abilities, as well as Christian. These two were objects of
my particular regard and attention, and I took great pains to instruct
them, for they really promised, as professional men, to be a credit to
their country.
Young was well recommended, and appeared to me an able stout seaman;
therefore I was glad to take him: he, however, fell short of what his
appearance promised.
Stewart was a young man of creditable parents, in the Orkneys; at which
place, on the return of the Resolution from the South Seas, in 1780, we
received so many civilities, that, on that account only, I should gladly
have taken him with me: but, independent of this recommendation, he was
a seaman, and had always borne a good character.
Notwithstanding the roughness with which I was treated, the remembrance
of past kindnesses produced some signs of remorse in Christian. When
they were forcing me out of the ship, I asked him, if this treatment was
a proper return for the many instances he had received of my friendship?
he appeared disturbed at my question, and answered, with much emotion,
"That,--captain Bligh,--that is the thing;--I am in hell--I am in hell."
As soon as I had time to reflect, I felt an inward satisfaction which
prevented any depression of my spirits: conscious of my integrity, and
anxious solicitude for the good of the service in which I was engaged,
I found my mind wonderfully supported, and I began to conceive hopes,
notwithstanding so heavy a calamity, that I should one day be able to
account to my King and country for the misfortune.--A few hours before,
my situation had been peculiarly flattering. I had a ship in the most
perfect order, and well stored with every necessary both for service and
health: by early attention to those particulars I had, as much as lay in
my power, provided against any accident, in case I could not get through
Endeavour Straits, as well as against what might befal me in them; add
to this, the plants had been successfully preserved in the most
flourishing state: so that, upon the whole, the voyage was two thirds
completed, and the remaining part in a very promising way; every person
on board being in perfect health, to establish which was ever amongst
the principal objects of my attention.
[Sidenote: 1789. APRIL.]
It will very naturally be asked, what could be the reason for such a
revolt? in answer to which, I can only conjecture that the mutineers had
assured themselves of a more happy life among the Otaheiteans, than they
could possibly have in England; which, joined to some female
connections, have most probably been the principal cause of the whole
transaction.
The women at Otaheite are handsome, mild and chearful in their manners
and conversation, possessed of great sensibility, and have sufficient
delicacy to make them admired and beloved. The chiefs were so much
attached to our people, that they rather encouraged their stay among
them than otherwise, and even made them promises of large possessions.
Under these, and many other attendant circumstances, equally desirable,
it is now perhaps not so much to be wondered at, though scarcely
possible to have been foreseen, that a set of sailors, most of them
void of connections, should be led away; especially when, in addition to
such powerful inducements, they imagined it in their power to fix
themselves in the midst of plenty, on the finest island in the world,
where they need not labour, and where the allurements of dissipation are
beyond any thing that can be conceived. The utmost, however, that any
commander could have supposed to have happened is, that some of the
people would have been tempted to desert. But if it should be asserted,
that a commander is to guard against an act of mutiny and piracy in his
own ship, more than by the common rules of service, it is as much as to
say that he must sleep locked up, and when awake, be girded with
pistols.
[Sidenote: 1789. APRIL.]
Desertions have happened, more or less, from many of the ships that have
been at the Society Islands; but it ever has been in the commanders
power to make the chiefs return their people: the knowledge, therefore,
that it was unsafe to desert; perhaps, first led mine to consider with
what ease so small a ship might be surprized, and that so favourable an
opportunity would never offer to them again.
The secrecy of this mutiny is beyond all conception. Thirteen of the
party, who were with me, had always lived forward among the people; yet
neither they, nor the messmates of Christian, Stewart, Haywood, and
Young, had ever observed any circumstance to give them suspicion of what
was going on. With such close-planned acts of villainy, and my mind free
from any suspicion, it is not wonderful that I have been got the better
of. Perhaps, if I had had marines, a centinel at my cabin-door might
have prevented it; for I slept with the door always open, that the
officer of the watch might have access to me on all occasions. The
possibility of such a conspiracy was ever the farthest from my
thoughts. Had their mutiny been occasioned by any grievances, either
real or imaginary, I must have discovered symptoms of their discontent,
which would have put me on my guard: but the case was far otherwise.
Christian, in particular, I was on the most friendly terms with; that
very day he was engaged to have dined with me; and the preceding night
he excused himself from supping with me, on pretence of being unwell;
for which I felt concerned, having no suspicions of his integrity and
honour.
[Sidenote: 1789. APRIL.]
It now remained with me to consider what was best to be done. My first
determination was to seek a supply of bread-fruit and water at Tofoa,
and afterwards to sail for Tongataboo; and there risk a solicitation to
Poulaho, the king, to equip my boat, and grant a supply of water and
provisions, so as to enable us to reach the East Indies.
The quantity of provisions I found in the boat was 150 lb. of bread, 16
pieces of pork, each piece weighing 2 lb. 6 quarts of rum, 6 bottles of
wine, with 28 gallons of water, and four empty barrecoes.
[Sidenote: Wednesday 29.]
Wednesday, April 29th[*]. Happily the afternoon kept calm, until about 4
o'clock, when we were so far to windward, that, with a moderate easterly
breeze which sprung up, we were able to sail. It was nevertheless dark
when we got to Tofoa, where I expected to land; but the shore proved to
be so steep and rocky, that I was obliged to give up all thoughts of it,
and keep the boat under the lee of the island with two oars; for there
was no anchorage. Having fixed on this mode of proceeding for the night,
I served to every person half a pint of grog, and each took to his rest
as well as our unhappy situation would allow.
[*] It is to be observed, that the account of time is kept in the
nautical way, each day ending at noon. Thus the beginning of the 29th of
April is, according to the common way of reckoning, the afternoon of the
28th.
[Sidenote: 1789. APRIL 29.]
In the morning, at dawn of day, we set off along shore in search of
landing, and about ten o'clock we discovered a stony cove at the N W
part of the island, where I dropt the grapnel within 20 yards of the
rocks. A great deal of surf ran on the shore; but, as I was unwilling to
diminish our stock of provisions, I landed Mr. Samuel, and some others,
who climbed the cliffs, and got into the country to search for supplies.
The rest of us remained at the cove, not discovering any way to get into
the country, but that by which Mr. Samuel had proceeded. It was great
consolation to me to find, that the spirits of my people did not sink,
notwithstanding our miserable and almost hopeless situation. Towards
noon Mr. Samuel returned, with a few quarts of water, which he had found
in holes; but he had met with no spring or any prospect of a sufficient
supply in that particular, and had only seen signs of inhabitants. As it
was impossible to know how much we might be in want, I only issued a
morsel of bread, and a glass of wine, to each person for dinner.