VOYAGE TO THE
seat in the boat was Martin, which being noticed by Quintal, he pointed
a musket at him, and declared he would shoot him unless he instantly
returned to the ship, which he did. The armourer and carpenter’s
mates were also forcibly detained, as they might be required hereafter.
Lieutenant Bligh was then conducted to the gangway, and ordered
to descend into the boat, where his hands were unbound, and he and
his party were veered astern, and kept there while the ship stood
towards the island. During this time Lieutenant Bligh requested some
muskets, to protect his party against the natives; hut they were refused,
and four cutlasses thrown to them instead. When they were
about ten leagues from Tofoa, at Lieutenant Bligh’s request, the launch
was cast off, and immediately “ Huzza for Otaheite!” echoed throughout
the Bounty.
There now remained in the ship, Christian, who was the mate.
Hey wood. Young, and Stewart, midshipmen, the master-at-arms, and
sixteen seamen, besides the three artificers, and the gardener; forming
in all twenty-five.
In the launch were the lieutenant, master, surgeon, a master’s
mate, two midshipmen, botanist, three warrant-officers, clerk, and eight
seamen, making in all nineteen; and had not the three persons above
mentioned been forcibly detained, the captain would have had exactly
half the ship's company. It may perhaps appear strange to many, that
with so large a party in his favour. Lieutenant Bligh made no attempt
to retake the vessel; but the mutiny was so ably conducted that no
opportunity was afforded him of doing so; and the strength of the crew
was decidedly in favour of Christian. Lieutenant Bligh’s adventures
and sufferings, until he reached Timor, are well known to the public,
and need no repetition.
The ship, having stood some time to the W. N . W., with a view
to deceive the party in the launch, was afterwards put about, and her
course directed as near to Otaheite as the wind would permit. In a
few days they found some difficulty in reaching that island, and bore
away for Tobouai, a small island about SOO miles to the southward of
it, where they agreed to establish themselves, provided the natives, who
were numerous, were not hostile to their purpose. Of this they had
very early intimation, an attack being made upon a boat which they
sent to sound the harbour. She, however, effected her purpose; and C H x \r
the next morning the Bounty was warped inside the reef that formed
the port, and stationed close to the beach. An attempt to land was
Dec.
182.Û
next made; but the natives disputed every foot of ground with spears,
clubs, and stones, until they were dispersed by a discharge of cannon
and musketry. On this they fled to the interior, and refused to hold
any further intercourse with their visiters.
The determined hostility of the natives put an end to the mutineers’
design of settling among them at that time ; and, after two
days fruitless attempt at reconciliation, they left the island and ]:>ro-
ceeded to Otaheite. Tobouai was, however, a flivourite spot with them,
and they determined to make another effort to settle there, whicli
they thought would yet be feasible, provided the islanders could be
made acquainted with their friendly intentions. The only way to do
this was through interpreters, w*ho might he procured at Otaheite; and
in order not to be dependent upon the natives of Tobouai for wives,
they determined to engage several Otaheitan women to accompany
them. They reached Otaheite in eight days, and were received with
the greatest kindness by their former friends, who immediately inquired
for the captain and his officers. Christian and his party having
antici|)ated inquiries of this nature, invented a story to account for their
absence, and told them that Lieutenant Bligh having found an island
suitable for a settlement, had landed there with some of his officers, and
sent them in the ship to procure live stock and whatever else would be
useful to the colony, and to bring besides such of the natives as were
willing to accompany them*. Satisfied with this plausible account, the
chiefs supplied them with every thing they wanted, and even gave them
a bull and cow which had been confided to their care, the only ones, I
believe, that were on the island. They were equally fortunate in finding
several persons, both male and female, willing to accompany them ;
* In the Memoir of Captain Peter Heywood, in Marshall’s Naval Biography, it is related
that the mutineers availing themselves of a fiction which had been created by Lieutenant Bligh
respecting Captain Cook, stated that they had fallen in with him, and that lie had sent
the ship back for all the live stock that could be spared, in order to form a settlement at a
place called Wytootacke, which Bligh had discovered in his course to the Friendly Islands.
'!i:
4
'Æs»s