THE MUTINY
That,--Captain Bligh,--that is the thing;--I am in hell!--I am
in hell!--FLETCHER CHRISTIAN.
--Horror and doubt distract
His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir
The hell within him; for within him hell
He brings, and round about him, nor from hell
One step no more than from himself can fly
By change of place; now conscience wakes despair
That slumber'd, wakes the bitter memory
Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue.
'In the morning of the 28th April, the north-westernmost of the Friendly
Islands, called Tofoa, bearing north-east, I was steering to the
westward with a ship in most perfect order, all my plants in a most
flourishing condition, all my men and officers in good health, and in
short, everything to flatter and insure my most sanguine expectations.
On leaving the deck I gave directions for the course to be steered
during the night. The master had the first watch; the gunner, the middle
watch; and Mr. Christian, the morning watch. This was the turn of duty
for the night.
'Just before sun-rising on Tuesday the 28th, while I was yet asleep,
Mr. Christian, officer of the watch, Charles Churchill, ship's corporal,
John Mills, gunner's mate, and Thomas Burkitt, seaman, came into my
cabin, and seizing me, tied my hands with a cord behind my back,
threatening me with instant death if I spoke or made the least noise. I
called, however, as loud as I could in hopes of assistance; but they had
already secured the officers who were not of their party, by placing
sentinels at their doors. There were three men at my cabin door, besides
the four within; Christian had only a cutlass in his hand, the others
had muskets and bayonets. I was hauled out of bed, and forced on deck in
my shirt, suffering great pain from the tightness with which they had
tied my hands[4] [behind my back, held by Fletcher Christian, and
Charles Churchill, with a bayonet at my breast, and two men, Alexander
Smith and Thomas Burkitt behind me, with loaded muskets cocked and
bayonets fixed]. I demanded the reason of such violence, but received no
other answer than abuse, for not holding my tongue. The master, the
gunner, Mr. Elphinstone, the master's mate, and Nelson, were kept
confined below; and the fore-hatchway was guarded by sentinels. The
boatswain and carpenter, and also Mr. Samuel the clerk, were allowed to
come upon deck, where they saw me standing abaft the mizen-mast, with my
hands tied behind my back, under a guard, with Christian at their head.
The boatswain was ordered to hoist the launch out, with a threat, if he
did not do it instantly, to take care of himself.
'When the boat was out, Mr. Hayward and Mr. Hallet, two of the
midshipmen, and Mr. Samuel, were ordered into it. I demanded what their
intention Was in giving this order, and endeavoured to persuade the
people near me not to persist in such acts of violence; but it was to no
effect--"Hold your tongue, Sir, or you are dead this instant," was
constantly repeated to me.
'The master by this time had sent to request that he might come on deck,
which was permitted; but he was soon ordered back again to his cabin.
'[When I exerted myself in speaking loud, to try if I could rally any
with a sense of duty in them, I was saluted with--"d--n his eyes,
the----, blow his brains out"; while Christian was threatening me with
instant death, if I did not hold my tongue.]
'I continued my endeavours to turn the tide of affairs, when Christian
changed the cutlass which he had in his hand for a bayonet that was
brought to him, and holding me with a strong grip by the cord that tied
my hands, he threatened, with many oaths, to kill me immediately, if I
would not be quiet; the villains round me had their pieces cocked and
bayonets fixed. Particular persons were called on to go into the boat
and were hurried over the side; whence I concluded that with these
people I was to be set adrift. I therefore made another effort to bring
about a change, but with no other effect than to be threatened with
having my brains blown out.
The boatswain and seamen who were to go in the boat, were allowed to
collect twine, canvas, lines, sails, cordage, an eight-and-twenty gallon
cask of water; and Mr. Samuel got one hundred and fifty pounds of bread,
with a small quantity of rum and wine, also a quadrant and compass; but
he was forbidden, on pain of death, to touch either map, ephemeris, book
of astronomical observations, sextant, timekeeper, or any of my surveys
or drawings.
'The mutineers having forced those of the seamen whom they meant to get
rid of into the boat, Christian directed a dram to be served to each of
his own crew. I then unhappily saw that nothing could be done to effect
the recovery of the ship: there was no one to assist me, and every
endeavour on my part was answered with threats of death.
'The officers were next called upon deck, and forced over the side into
the boat, while I was kept apart from every one, abaft the mizen-mast;
Christian, armed with a bayonet, holding me by the bandage that secured
my hands. The guard round me had their pieces cocked, but on my daring
the ungrateful wretches to fire, they uncocked them.
'Isaac Martin, one of the guard over me, I saw had an inclination to
assist me, and as he fed me with shaddock (my lips being quite parched)
we explained our wishes to each other by our looks; but this being
observed, Martin was removed from me. He then attempted to leave the
ship, for which purpose he got into the boat; but with many threats they
obliged him to return.
'The armourer, Joseph Coleman, and two of the carpenters, M'Intosh and
Norman, were also kept, contrary to their inclination; and they begged
of me, after I was astern in the boat, to remember that they declared
they had no hand in the transaction. Michael Byrne, I am told, likewise
wanted to leave the ship.
'It is of no moment for me to recount my endeavours to bring back the
offenders to a sense of their duty; all I could do was by speaking to
them in general; but it was to no purpose, for I was kept securely
bound, and no one except the guard suffered to come near me.
'To Mr. Samuel (clerk) I am indebted for securing my journals and
commission, with some material ship papers. Without these I had nothing
to certify what I had done, and my honour and character might have been
suspected, without my possessing a proper document to have defended
them. All this he did with great resolution, though guarded and strictly
watched. He attempted to save the timekeeper, and a box with my surveys,
drawings, and remarks, for fifteen years past, which were numerous; when
he was hurried away with "D--n your eyes, you are well off to get what
you have."
It appeared to me that Christian was some time in doubt whether he
should keep the carpenter, or his mates; at length he determined on the
latter, and the carpenter was ordered into the boat. He was permitted,
but not without some opposition, to take his tool-chest.
'Much altercation took place among the mutinous crew during the whole
business: some swore "I'll be d---- d if he does not find his way home,
if he gets anything with him"; and when the carpenter's chest was
carrying away, "D---- n my eyes, he will have a vessel built in a
month"; while others laughed at the helpless situation of the boat,
being very deep, and so little room for those who were in her. As for
Christian, he seemed as if meditating destruction on himself and every
one else.
'I asked for arms, but they laughed at me, and said I was well
acquainted with the people among whom I was going, and therefore did not
want them; four cutlasses, however, were thrown into the boat, after we
were veered astern.
'The officers and men being in the boat, they only waited for me, of
which the master-at-arms informed Christian; who then said--"Come,
Captain Bligh, your officers and men are now in the boat, and you must
go with them; if you attempt to make the least resistance, you will
instantly be put to death"; and without further ceremony, with a tribe
of armed ruffians about me, I was forced over the side, when they untied
my hands. Being in the boat, we were veered astern by a rope, a few
pieces of pork were thrown to us, and some clothes, also the cutlasses I
have already mentioned; and it was then that the armourer and carpenters
called out to me to remember that they had no hand in the transaction.
After having undergone a great deal of ridicule, and been kept for some
time to make sport for these unfeeling wretches, we were at length cast
adrift in the open ocean.
'I had with me in the boat the following persons:
Names. Stations.
JOHN FRYER Master.
THOMAS LEDWARD Acting Surgeon.
DAVID NELSON Botanist.
WILLIAM PECKOVER Gunner.
WILLIAM COLE Boatswain.
WILLIAM PURCELL Carpenter.
WILLIAM ELPHINSTONE Master's Mate.
THOMAS HAYWARD } Midshipman.
JOHN HALLET } do.
JOHN NORTON } Quarter-Master.
PETER LENKLETTER } do.
LAWRENCE LEBOGUE Sailmaker.
JOHN SMITH } Cook.
THOMAS HALL } do.
GEORGE SIMPSON Quarter-Master's Mate.
ROBERT TINKLER A boy.
ROBERT LAMB Butcher.
MR. SAMUEL Clerk.
In all eighteen.
'There remained in the _Bounty_:
Names. Stations.
FLETCHER CHRISTIAN Master's Mate.
PETER HEYWOOD } Midshipman.
EDWARD YOUNG } Midshipman.
GEORGE STEWART } Midshipman.
CHARLES CHURCHILL Master-at-Arms.
JOHN MILLS Gunner's Mate.
JAMES MORRISON Boatswain's Mate.
THOMAS BURKITT } Able Seaman.
MATTHEW QUINTAL } do.
JOHN SUMNER } do.
JOHN MILLWARD } do.
WILLIAM M'KOY } do.
HENRY HILLBRANT } do.
MICHAEL BYRNE } do.
WILLIAM MUSPRATT } do.
ALEXANDER SMITH } do.
JOHN WILLIAMS } do.
THOMAS ELLISON } do.
ISAAC MARTIN } do.
RICHARD SKINNER } do.
MATTHEW THOMPSON } do.
WILLIAM BROWN Gardener.
JOSEPH COLEMAN Armourer.
CHARLES NORMAN Carpenter's Mate.
THOMAS M'INTOSH Carpenter's Crew.
In all twenty-five--and the most able of the ship's company.
'Christian, the chief of the mutineers, 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
had given him an order to take charge of the third, his abilities being
thoroughly equal to the task; and by this means the master and gunner
were not at watch and watch.
'Heywood is also of a respectable family in the North of England,[5] and
a young man of abilities as well as Christian. These two had been
objects of my particular regard and attention, and I had taken great
pains to instruct them, having entertained hopes that, as professional
men, they would have become a credit to their country.
'Young was well recommended, and had the look of an able, stout seaman;
he, however, fell short of what his appearance promised. [In the account
sent home he is thus described: Edward Young, midshipman, aged
twenty-two years. Dark complexion and rather a bad look--strong
made--has lost several of his fore teeth, and those that remain are all
rotten.]
'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 had been
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 befall
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, to all appearance, 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.
'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
flattered themselves with the hopes of a more happy life among the
Otaheitans than they could possibly enjoy in England; and this, joined
to some female connexions, most probably occasioned the whole
transaction. The ship, indeed, while within our sight, 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.
'The women of Otaheite are handsome, mild, and cheerful 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 connexions, 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 one of the finest islands in the world, where
they need hot labour, and where the allurements of dissipation are
beyond anything 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.
'Desertions have happened, more or less, from most of the ships that
have been at the Society Islands; but it has always been in the
commander's 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 surprised, 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 seamen; yet
neither they, nor the messmates of Christian, Stewart, Heywood, and
Young, had ever observed any circumstance that made them in the least
suspect what was going on. To such a close-planned act of villainy, my
mind being entirely free from any suspicion, it is not wonderful that I
fell a sacrifice. Perhaps, if there had been marines on board, a
sentinel 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 being 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 ease 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.'
Such is the story published by Lieutenant Bligh immediately on his
return to England, after one of the most distressing and perilous
passages over nearly four thousand miles of the wide ocean, with
eighteen persons, in an open boat. The story obtained implicit credit;
and though Lieutenant Bligh's character never stood high in the navy for
suavity of manners or mildness of temper, he was always considered as an
excellent seaman, and his veracity stood unimpeached. But in this age of
refined liberality, when the most atrocious criminals find their
apologists, it is not surprising it should now be discovered, when all
are dead that could either prove or disprove it, that it was the tyranny
of the commander alone, and not the wickedness of the ringleader of the
mutineers of the _Bounty_, that caused that event. 'We all know,' it is
said, 'that mutiny can arise but from one of these two sources,
excessive folly or excessive tyranny; therefore'--the logic is
admirable--'as it is admitted that Bligh was no idiot, the inference is
obvious.'[6] If this be so, it may be asked to which of the two causes
must be ascribed the mutiny at the Nore, etc.? The true answer will be,
to neither. 'Not only,' continues the writer, 'was the _narrative_ which
he published proved to be false in many material bearings, by evidence
before a court-martial, but every act of his public life after this
event, from his successive command of the _Director_, the _Glatton_, and
the _Warrior_, to his disgraceful expulsion from New South Wales,--was
stamped with an insolence, an inhumanity, and coarseness, which fully
developed his character.'
There is no intention, in narrating this eventful history, to accuse or
defend either the character or the conduct of the late Admiral Bligh; it
is well known his temper was irritable in the extreme; but the
circumstance of his having been the friend of Captain Cook, with whom he
sailed as his master,--of his ever afterwards being patronized by Sir
Joseph Banks,--of the Admiralty promoting him to the rank of commander,
appointing him immediately to the _Providence_, to proceed on the same
expedition to Otaheite,--and of his returning in a very short time to
England with complete success, and recommending all his officers for
promotion on account of their exemplary conduct;--of his holding several
subsequent employments in the service,--of his having commanded ships of
the line in the battles of Copenhagen and Camperdown,--and risen to the
rank of a flag-officer,--these may perhaps be considered to speak
something in his favour, and be allowed to stand as some proof that,
with all his failings, he had his merits. That he was a man of coarse
habits, and entertained very mistaken notions with regard to discipline,
is quite true: yet he had many redeeming qualities. The accusation, by
the writer in question, of Bligh having falsified his 'narrative,' is a
very heavy charge, and, it is to be feared, is not wholly without
foundation; though it would perhaps be more correct to say, that in the
printed narrative of his voyage, and the narrative on which the
mutineers were tried, there are many important omissions from his
original manuscript journal, some of which it will be necessary to
notice presently.
The same writer further says, 'We know that the officers fared in every
way worse than the men, and that even young Heywood was kept at the mast
head no less than eight hours at one spell, in the worst weather which
they encountered off Cape Horn.'
Perhaps Heywood may himself be brought forward as authority, if not to
disprove, at least to render highly improbable, his experiencing any
such treatment on the part of his captain. This young officer, in his
defence, says, 'Captain Bligh, in his narrative, acknowledges that he
had left some friends on board the _Bounty_, and no part of my conduct
could have induced him to believe that I ought not to be reckoned of the
number. Indeed, from his attention to, _and very kind treatment of me
personally_, I should have been a monster of depravity to have betrayed
him. The idea alone is sufficient to disturb a mind, where humanity and
gratitude have, I hope, ever been noticed as its characteristic
features.' Bligh, too, has declared in a letter to Heywood's uncle,
Holwell, after accusing him of ingratitude, that 'he never once had an
angry word from me during the whole course of the voyage, as his conduct
always gave me much pleasure and satisfaction.'
In looking over a manuscript journal, kept by Morrison, the boatswain's
mate, who was tried and convicted as one of the mutineers, but received
the king's pardon, the conduct of Bligh appears in a very unfavourable
point of view. This Morrison was a person, from talent and education,
far above the situation he held in the _Bounty_; he had previously
served in the navy as midshipman, and, after his pardon, was appointed
gunner of the _Blenheim_, in which he perished with Sir Thomas
Troubridge. In comparing this journal with other documents, the dates
and transactions appear to be correctly stated, though the latter may
occasionally be somewhat too highly coloured. How he contrived to
preserve this journal, in the wreck of the _Pandora_, does not appear;
but there can be no doubt of its authenticity, having been kept among
the late Captain Heywood's papers; various passages in it have been
corrected either by this officer or some other person, but without
altering their sense.
It would appear from this important document that the seeds of discord,
in the unfortunate ship _Bounty_, were sown at a very early period of
the voyage. It happened, as was the case in all small vessels, that the
duties of commander and purser were united in the person of Lieutenant
Bligh; and it would seem that this proved the cause of very serious
discontent among the officers and crew; of the mischief arising out of
this union, the following statement of Mr. Morrison may serve as a
specimen. At Teneriffe, Lieutenant Bligh ordered the cheese to be
hoisted up and exposed to the air; which was no sooner done, than he
pretended to miss a certain quantity, and declared that it had been
stolen. The cooper, Henry Hillbrant, informed him that the cask in
question had been opened by the orders of Mr. Samuel, his clerk, who
acted also as steward, and the cheese sent on shore to his own house,
previous to the _Bounty_ leaving the river on her way to Portsmouth.
Lieutenant Bligh, without making any further inquiry, immediately
ordered the allowance of that article to be stopped, both from
_officers_ and _men_, until the deficiency should be made good, and told
the cooper he would give him a d--d good flogging if he said another
word on the subject. It can hardly be supposed that a man of Bligh's
shrewdness, if disposed to play the rogue, would have placed himself so
completely in the hands of the cooper, in a transaction which, if
revealed, must have cost him his commission.
Again, on approaching the equator, some decayed pumpkins, purchased at
Teneriffe, were ordered to be issued to the crew, at the rate of _one_
pound of pumpkin for _two_ pounds of biscuit. The reluctance of the men
to accept this proposed substitute, _on such terms_, being reported to
Lieutenant Bligh, he flew upon deck in a violent rage, turned the hands
up, and ordered the first man on the list of each mess to be called by
name; at the same time saying, 'I'll see who will dare to refuse the
pumpkin, or any thing else I may order to be served out;' to which he
added, 'You d--d infernal scoundrels, I'll make you eat grass, or any
thing you can catch, before I have done with you.' This speech had the
desired effect, every one receiving the pumpkins, even the _officers_.
Next comes a complaint respecting the mode of issuing beef and pork: but
when a representation was made to Lieutenant Bligh in the quiet and
orderly manner prescribed by the twenty-first article of war, he called
the crew aft, told them that every thing relative to the provisions was
transacted by his orders; that it was therefore needless for them to
complain, as they would get no redress, he being the fittest judge of
what was right or wrong, and that he would flog the first man who should
dare attempt to make any complaint in future. To this imperious menace
they bowed in silence, and not another murmur was heard from them during
the remainder of the voyage to Otaheite, it being their determination to
seek legal redress on the _Bounty's_ return to England. Happy would it
have been had they kept their resolution. By so doing, if the story be
true, they would amply have been avenged, a vast number of human lives
spared, and a world of misery avoided.
According to this Journalist, 'the seeds of eternal discord were sown
between Lieutenant Bligh and some of his officers,' while in Adventure
Bay, Van Diemen's Land; and on arriving at Matavai Bay, in Otaheite, he
is accused of taking the officers' hogs and bread-fruit, and serving
them to the ship's company; and when the master remonstrated with him on
the subject, he replied that 'he would convince him that every thing
became _his_ as soon as it was brought on board; that he would take
nine-tenths of every man's property, and let him see who dared to say
anything to the contrary.' The sailors' pigs were seized without
ceremony, and it became a favour for a man to obtain an extra pound of
his own meat.
The writer then says, 'the object of our visit to the Society Islands
being at length accomplished, we weighed on the 4th April, 1789. Every
one seemed in high spirits, and began to talk of home, as though they
had just left Jamaica instead of Otaheite, so far onward did their
flattering fancies waft them. On the 23rd, we anchored off Anamooka, the
inhabitants of which island were very rude, and attempted to take the
casks and axes from the parties sent to fill water and cut wood. A
musket pointed at them produced no other effect than a return of the
compliment, by poising their clubs or spears with menacing looks; and,
as it was Lieutenant Bligh's orders, that no person should affront them
on any occasion, they were emboldened by meeting with no check to their
insolence. They at length became so troublesome, that Mr. Christian, who
commanded the watering party, found it difficult to carry on his duty;
but on acquainting Lieutenant Bligh with their behaviour, he received a
volley of abuse, was d--d as a cowardly rascal, and asked if he were
afraid of naked savages whilst he had weapons in his hand? To this he
replied in a respectful manner, "The arms are of no effect, Sir, while
your orders prohibit their use."'
This happened but three days before the mutiny, and the same
circumstance is noticed, but somewhat differently, in Bligh's MS.
Journal, where he says, 'the men cleared themselves, and they therefore
merit no punishment. As to the officers I have no resource, nor do I
ever feel myself safe in the few instances I trust to them.' A perusal
of all the documents certainly leads to the conclusion that all his
officers were of a very inferior description; they had no proper feeling
of their own situation; and this, together with the contempt in which
they were held by Bligh, and which he could not disguise, may account
for that perfect indifference, with regard both to the captain and the
ship, which was manifested on the day of the mutiny.
That sad catastrophe, if the writer of the Journal be correct, was
hastened, if not brought about by, the following circumstance, of which
Bligh takes no notice.
'In the afternoon of the 27th, Lieutenant Bligh came upon deck, and
missing some of the cocoa-nuts, which had been piled up between the
guns, said they had been stolen, and could not have been taken away
without the knowledge of the officers, all of whom were sent for and
questioned on the subject. On their declaring that they had not seen any
of the people touch them, he exclaimed, "Then you must have taken them
yourselves"; and proceeded to inquire of them separately, how many they
had purchased. On coming to Mr. Christian, that gentleman answered, "I
do not know, Sir, but I hope you do not think me so mean as to be
guilty of stealing yours." Mr. Bligh replied, "Yes, you d---- d hound, I
do--you must have stolen them from me, or you would be able to give a
better account of them;" then turning to the other officers, he said,
"God d---- n you, you scoundrels, you are all thieves alike, and combine
with the men to rob me: I suppose you will steal my yams next; but I'll
sweat you for it, you rascals--I'll make half of you jump overboard,
before you get through Endeavour Straits." This threat was followed by
an order to the clerk "to stop the villains' grog, and give them but
half a pound of yams to-morrow; if they steal them, I'll reduce them to
a quarter."'
It is difficult to believe that an officer in his Majesty's service
could condescend to make use of such language to the meanest of the
crew, much less to gentlemen: it is to be feared, however, that there is
sufficient ground for the truth of these statements: with regard to the
last, it is borne out by the evidence of Mr. Fryer, the master, on the
court-martial. This officer, being asked, 'what did you suppose to be
Mr. Christian's meaning, when he said he had been in hell for a
fortnight?' answered, 'From the frequent quarrels they had had, and the
abuse which he had received from Mr. Bligh.'--'Had there been any very
recent quarrel?'--'The day before Mr. Bligh challenged all the young
gentlemen and people with stealing his cocoa-nuts.' It was on the
evening of this day that Lieutenant Bligh, according to his printed
narrative, says Christian was to have supped with him; but excused
himself on account of being unwell; and that he was invited to dine with
him on the day of the mutiny.
Every one of these circumstances, and many others, which might be stated
from Mr. Morrison's Journal, are omitted in Bligh's published narrative;
but many of them are alluded to in his original Journal, and others that
prove distinctly the constant reproofs to which his officers were
subject, and the bad terms on which they stood with their commander. A
few extracts from this Journal will sufficiently establish this point.
In so early a part of the voyage as their arrival in Adventure Bay, he
found fault with his officers, and put the carpenter into confinement.
Again, at Matavai Bay, on the 5th December, Bligh says, 'I ordered the
carpenter to cut a large stone that was brought off by one of the
natives, requesting me to get it made fit for them to grind their
hatchets on, but to my astonishment he refused, in direct terms, to
comply, saying, "I will not cut the stone, for it will spoil my chisel;
and though there may be law to take away my clothes, there is none to
take away my tools." This man having before shown his mutinous and
insolent behaviour, I was under the necessity of confining him to his
cabin.'
On the 5th January three men deserted in the cutter, on which occasion
Bligh says, 'Had the mate of the watch been awake, no trouble of this
kind would have happened. I have therefore disrated and turned him
before the mast; such neglectful and worthless petty officers, I
believe, never were in a ship as are in this. No orders for a few hours
together are obeyed by them, and their conduct in general is so bad,
that no confidence or trust can be reposed in them; in short, they have
driven me to every thing but corporal punishment, and that must follow
if they do not improve.'
By Morrison's Journal it would appear that 'corporal punishment' was not
long delayed; for, on the very day, he says, the midshipman was put in
irons, and confined from the 5th January to the 23rd March--eleven
weeks!
On the 17th January, orders being given to clear out the sail-room and
to air the sails, many of them were found very much mildewed and rotten
in many places, on which he observes, 'If I had any officers to
supersede the master and boatswain, or was capable of doing without
them, considering them as common seamen, they should no longer occupy
their respective stations; scarcely any neglect of duty can equal the
criminality of this.'
On the 24th January, the three deserters were brought back and flogged,
then put in irons for further punishment. 'As this affair,' he says,
'was solely caused by the neglect of the officers who had the watch, I
was induced to give them all a lecture on this occasion, and endeavour
to show them that, however exempt they were at present from the like
punishment, yet they were equally subject, by the articles of war, to a
condign one.' He then tells them, that it is only necessity that makes
him have recourse to reprimand, because there are no means of trying
them by court-martial; and adds a remark, not very intelligible, but
what he calls an unpleasant one, about _such_ offenders having no
feelings of honour or sense of shame.
On the 7th March, a native Otaheitan, whom Bligh had confined in irons,
contrived to break the lock of the bilboa-bolt and make his escape. 'I
had given,' says Bligh, 'a written order that the mate of the watch was
to be answerable for the prisoners, and to visit and see that they were
safe in his watch, but I have such a neglectful set about me, that I
believe nothing but condign punishment can alter their conduct. Verbal
orders, in the course of a month, were so forgotten, that they would
impudently assert no such thing or directions were given, and I have
been at last under the necessity to trouble myself with writing, what,
by decent young officers, would be complied with as the common rules of
the service. Sir. Stewart was the mate of the watch.'
These extracts show the terms on which Bligh was with his officers; and
these few instances, with others from Morrison's Journal, make it pretty
clear, that though Christian, as fiery and passionate a youth as his
commander could well be, and with feelings too acute to bear the foul
and opprobious language constantly addressed to him, was the sole
instigator of the mutiny;--the captain had no support to expect, and
certainly received none, from the rest of his officers. That Christian
was the sole author appears still more strongly from the following
passage in Morrison's Journal. 'When Mr. Bligh found he must go into the
boat, he begged of Mr. Christian to desist, saying "I'll pawn my honour,
I'll give my bond, Mr. Christian, never to think of this, if you'll
desist," and urged his wife and family; to which Mr. Christian replied,
"No, Captain Bligh, if you had any honour, things had not come to this;
and if you had any regard for your wife and family, you should have
thought on them before, and not behaved so much like a villain."
Lieutenant Bligh again attempted to speak, but was ordered to be silent.
The boatswain also tried to pacify Mr. Christian, to whom he replied,
"It is too late, I have been in hell for this fortnight past, and am
determined to bear it no longer; and you know, Mr. Cole, that I have
been used like a dog all the voyage."'
It is pretty evident, therefore, that the mutiny was not, as Bligh in
his narrative states it to have been, the result of a conspiracy. It
will be seen by the minutes of the court-martial, that the whole affair
was planned and executed between the hours of four and eight o'clock, on
the morning of the 28th April, when Christian had the watch upon deck;
that Christian, unable longer to bear the abusive and insulting
language, had meditated his own escape from the ship the day before,
choosing to trust himself to fate, rather than submit to the constant
upbraiding to which he had been subject; but the unfortunate business
of the cocoa-nuts drove him to the commission of the rash and felonious
act, which ended, as such criminal acts usually do, in his own
destruction, and that of a great number of others, many of whom were
wholly innocent.
Lieutenant Bligh, like most passionate men, whose unruly tempers get the
better of their reason, having vented his rage about the cocoa-nuts,
became immediately calm, and by inviting Christian to sup with him the
same evening, evidently wished to renew their friendly intercourse; and
happy would it have been for all parties had he accepted the invitation.
On the same night, towards ten o'clock, when the master had the watch,
Bligh came on deck, as was his custom, before retiring to sleep. It was
one of those calm and beautiful nights, so frequent in tropical regions,
whose soothing influence can be appreciated only by those who have felt
it, when, after a scorching day, the air breathes a most refreshing
coolness,--it was an evening of this sort, when Bligh for the last time
came upon deck, in the capacity of commander; a gentle breeze scarcely
rippled the water, and the moon, then in its first quarter, shed its
soft light along the surface of the sea. The short and quiet
conversation that took place between Bligh and the master on this
evening, after the irritation of the morning had subsided, only to burst
forth again in all the horrors of mutiny and piracy, recalls to one's
recollection that beautiful passage of Shakespeare, where, on the
evening of the murder, Duncan, on approaching the castle of Macbeth,
observes to Banquo--
--'The air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses,' etc.--
a passage which Sir Joshua Reynolds considers as a striking instance of
what in painting is termed _repose_. 'The subject,' he says, 'of this
quiet and easy conversation, gives that repose so necessary to the mind,
after the tumultuous bustle of the preceding scenes, and beautifully
contrasts the scene of terror that immediately succeeds.' While, on this
lovely night, Bligh and his master were congratulating themselves on the
pleasing prospect of fine weather and a full moon, to light them through
Endeavour's dangerous straits, the unhappy and deluded Christian was, in
all probability, brooding over his wrongs, and meditating on the
criminal act he was to perpetrate the following morning; for he has
himself stated, that he had just fallen asleep about half after three in
the morning, and was much out of order.
The evidence on the court-martial is sufficiently explicit as to the
mode in which this act of piracy was committed. By the Journal of James
Morrison, the following is the account of the transaction, as given by
Christian himself to the two midshipmen, Heywood and Stewart (both of
whom had been kept below), the moment they were allowed to come upon
deck, after the boat, in which were Bligh and his companions, had been
turned adrift.
He said, that, 'finding himself much hurt by the treatment he had
received from Lieutenant Bligh, he had determined to quit the ship the
preceding evening, and had informed the boatswain, carpenter, and two
midshipmen (Stewart and Hayward), of his intention to do so; that by
them he was supplied with part of a roasted pig, some nails, beads, and
other articles of trade, which he put into a bag that was given him by
the last-named gentleman; that he put this bag into the clue of Robert
Tinkler's hammock, where it was discovered by that young gentleman when
going to bed at night, but the business was smothered, and passed off
without any further notice. He said he had fastened some staves to a
stout plank, with which he intended to make his escape; but finding he
could not effect it during the first and middle watches, as the ship had
no way through the water, and the people were all moving about, he laid
down to rest about half-past three in the morning; that when Mr. Stewart
called him to relieve the deck at four o'clock, he had but just fallen
asleep, and was much out of order; upon observing which, Mr. Stewart
strenuously advised him to abandon his intention; that as soon as he had
taken charge of the deck, he saw Mr. Hayward, the mate of his watch, lie
down on the arm-chest to take a nap; and finding that Mr. Hallet, the
other midshipman, did not make his appearance, he suddenly formed the
resolution of seizing the ship. Disclosing his intention to Matthew
Quintal and Isaac Martin, both of whom had been flogged by Lieutenant
Bligh, they called up Charles Churchill, who had also tasted the cat,
and Matthew Thompson, both of whom readily joined in the plot. That
Alexander Smith (_alias_ John Adams), John Williams, and William M'Koy,
evinced equal willingness, and went with Churchill to the armourer, of
whom they obtained the keys of the arm-chest, under pretence of wanting
a musket to fire at a shark, then alongside; that finding Mr. Hallet
asleep on an arm-chest in the main-hatchway, they roused and sent him on
deck. Charles Norman, unconscious of their proceedings, had in the
meantime awaked Mr. Hayward, and directed his attention to the shark,
whose movements he was watching at the moment that Mr. Christian and his
confederates came up the fore-hatchway, after having placed arms in the
hands of several men who were not aware of their design. One man,
Matthew Thompson, was left in charge of the chest, and he served out
arms to Thomas Burkitt and Robert Lamb. Mr. Christian said he then
proceeded to secure Lieutenant Bligh, the master, gunner, and botanist.'
'When Mr. Christian,' observes Morrison in his Journal, 'related the
above circumstances, I recollected having seen him fasten some staves to
a plank lying on the larboard gangway, as also having heard the
boatswain say to the carpenter, "it will not do to-night." I likewise
remembered that; Mr. Christian had visited the fore-cockpit several
times that evening, although he had very seldom, if ever, frequented
the warrant-officers' cabins before.'
If this be a correct statement, and the greater part of it is borne out
by evidence on the court-martial, it removes every doubt of Christian
being the sole instigator of the mutiny, and that no conspiracy nor
pre-concerted measures had any existence, but that it was suddenly
conceived by a hot-headed young man, in a state of great excitement of
mind, amounting to a temporary aberration of intellect, caused by the
frequent abusive and insulting language of his commanding officer.
Waking out of a short half hour's disturbed sleep, to take the command
of the deck--finding the two mates of the watch, Hayward and Hallet,
asleep (for which they ought to have been dismissed the service instead
of being, as they were, promoted)--the opportunity tempting, and the
ship completely in his power, with a momentary impulse he darted down
the fore-hatchway, got possession of the keys of the arm-chest, and made
the hazardous experiment of arming such of the men as he thought he
could trust, and effected his purpose.
There is a passage in Captain Beechey's account of Pitcairn Island,
which, if correct, would cast a stain on the memory of the unfortunate
Stewart--who, if there was one innocent man in the ship, was that man.
Captain Beechey says (speaking of Christian), 'His plan, strange as it
must appear for a young officer to adopt, who was fairly advanced in an
honourable profession, was to set himself adrift upon a raft, and make
his way to the island (Tofoa) then in sight. As quick in the execution
as in the design, the raft was soon constructed, various useful articles
were got together, and he was on the point of launching it, when a young
officer, _who afterwards perished in the Pandora_, to whom Christian
communicated his intention, recommended him, rather than risk his life
on so hazardous an expedition, _to endeavour to take possession of the
ship_, which he thought would not be very difficult, as many of the
ship's company were not well disposed towards the commander, and would
all be very glad to return to Otaheite, and reside among their friends
in that island. This daring proposition is even more extraordinary than
the premeditated scheme of his companion, and, if true, certainly
relieves Christian from part of the odium which has hitherto attached to
him as the sole instigator of the mutiny.' Relieve him?--not a jot--but
on the best authority it may boldly be stated, that it is _not_
true--the authority of Stewart's friend and messmate, the late Captain
Heywood.
Captain Beechey, desirous of being correct in his statement, very
properly sent his chapter on Pitcairn's Island for any observations
Captain Heywood might have to make on what was said therein regarding
the mutiny; observing in his note which accompanied it, that this
account, received from Adams, differed materially from a footnote in
Marshall's _Naval Biography_; to which Captain Heywood returned the
following reply.
'_5th April_, 1830.
'DEAR SIR,--I have perused the account you received from Adams
of the mutiny in the _Bounty_, which does indeed differ very
materially from a footnote in Marshall's _Naval Biography_, by
the editor, to whom I verbally detailed the facts, which are
strictly true.
'That Christian informed the boatswain and the carpenter,
Messrs. Hayward and Stewart, of his determination to leave the
ship upon a raft, on the night preceding the mutiny, is
certain; but that any one of them (Stewart in particular)
should have "recommended, rather than risk his life on so
hazardous an expedition, that he should try the expedient of
taking the ship from the captain, etc.," is entirely at
variance with the whole character and conduct of the latter,
both before and after the mutiny; as well as with the
assurance of Christian himself, the very night he quitted
Taheité, that the idea of attempting to take the ship had
never entered his distracted mind, until the moment he
relieved the deck, and found his mate and midshipman
asleep.[7]
'At that last interview with Christian he also communicated to
me, for the satisfaction of his relations, other circumstances
connected with that unfortunate disaster, which, after their
deaths, may or may not be laid before the public. And although
they can implicate none but himself, either living or dead,
they may extenuate but will contain not a word of his in
defence of the crime he committed against the laws of his
country.--I am, etc.,
'P. HEYWOOD.'
Captain Beechey stated only what he had heard from old Adams, who was
not always correct in the information he gave to the visitors of his
island; but this part of his statement gave great pain to Heywood, who
adverted to it on his death-bed, wishing, out of regard for Stewart's
memory and his surviving friends, that it should be publicly
contradicted; and with this view the above reply of Captain Heywood is
here inserted.
The temptations, therefore, which it was supposed Otaheite held out to
the deluded men of the _Bounty_, had no more share in the transaction
than the supposed conspiracy; it does not appear, indeed, that the cry
of 'Huzza for Otaheite!' was ever uttered; if this island had been the
object of either Christian or the crew, they would not have left it
three hundred miles behind them, before they perpetrated the act of
piracy; but after the deed had been committed, it would be natural
enough that they should turn their minds to the lovely island and its
fascinating inhabitants, which they had but just quitted, and that in
the moment of excitement some of them should have so called out; but
Bligh is the only person who has said they did so.
If, however, the recollection of the 'sunny isle' and its 'smiling
women' had really tempted the men to mutiny, Bligh would himself not be
free from blame, for having allowed them to indulge for six whole
months among this voluptuous and fascinating people; for though he was
one of the most active and anxious commanders of his time, 'the
service,' as is observed by a naval officer, 'was carried on in those
days in a very different spirit from that which regulates its movements
now, otherwise the _Bounty_ would never have passed six whole months at
one island "stowing away the fruit," during which time the officers and
seamen had free access to the shore. Under similar circumstances
nowadays, if the fruit happened not to be ready, the ship would have
been off, after ten days' relaxation, to survey other islands, or
speculate on coral reefs, or make astronomical observations; in short,
to do something or other to keep the devil out of the heads of the
crew.'[8] Bligh would appear to have been sensible of this on his next
expedition in the _Providence_, for on that occasion he collected more
bread-fruit plants than on the former, and spent only half the time in
doing so.
Be that as it may, Bligh might naturally enough conclude that the seamen
were casting 'a lingering look behind' towards Otaheite. 'If,' says
Forster (who accompanied Cook), 'we fairly consider the different
situations of a common sailor on board the _Resolution_, and of a
Taheitan on his island, we cannot blame the former if he attempt to rid
himself of the numberless discomforts of a voyage round the world, and
prefer an easy life, free from cares, in the happiest climate of the
world, to the frequent vicissitudes which are entailed upon the
mariner. The most favourable prospects of future success in England,
which he might form in idea, could never be so flattering to his senses
as the lowly hope of living like the meanest Taheitan. And supposing him
to escape the misfortunes incident to seamen, still he must earn his
subsistence in England at the expense of labour, and "in the sweat of
his brow," when this oldest curse on mankind is scarcely felt at
Taheité. Two or three bread-fruit trees, which grow almost without any
culture, and which flourish as long as he himself can expect to live,
supply him with abundant food during three-fourths of the year. The
cloth-trees and eddo-roots are cultivated with much less trouble than
our cabbages and kitchen-herbs. The banana, the royal palm, the golden
apple, all thrive with such luxuriance, and require so little trouble,
that I may venture to call them spontaneous. Most of their days are
therefore spent in a round of various enjoyments, where Nature has
lavished many a pleasing landscape; where the temperature of the air is
warm, but continually refreshed by a wholesome breeze from the sea; and
where the sky is almost constantly serene. A kind of happy uniformity
runs through the whole life of the Taheitans. They rise with the sun,
and hasten to rivers and fountains to perform an ablution equally
reviving and cleanly. They pass the morning at work, or walk about till
the heat of the day increases, when they retreat to their dwellings, or
repose under some tufted tree. There they amuse themselves with
smoothing their hair, and anoint it with fragrant oils; or they blow the
flute, and sing to it, or listen to the songs of the birds. At the hour
of noon, or a little later, they go to dinner. After their meals they
resume their domestic amusements, during which the flame of mutual
affection spreads in every heart, and unites the rising generation with
new and tender ties. The lively jest, without any ill-nature, the
artless tale, the jocund dance and frugal supper, bring on the evening;
and another visit to the river concludes the actions of the day. Thus
contented with their simple way of life, and placed in a delightful
country, they are free from cares, and happy in their ignorance.'
Such is the picture drawn of the happy people of Otaheite by a cold,
philosophical, German doctor, and such, with very little change, Bligh
found them. As far, however, as the mutiny of his people was concerned,
we must wholly discard the idea thrown out by him, that the seductions
of Otaheite had any share in producing it. It could not have escaped a
person of Christian's sagacity, that certain interrogatories would
unquestionably be put by the natives of Otaheite, on finding the ship
return so soon without her commander, without the bread-fruit plants,
and with only about half her crew; questions he knew to which no
satisfactory answer could be made; and though, at subsequent periods, he
twice visited that island, it was some time afterwards, and not from
choice but necessity; his object was to find a place of concealment,
where he might pass the remainder of his days, unheard of and unknown,
and where it is to be hoped he had time for sincere repentance, the only
atonement he could make for the commission of a crime, which involved so
many human beings in misery, and brought others to an untimely end--but
of this hereafter.