The Eventful History Of The Mutiny And Piratical Seizure by Sir John Barrow

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'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 LEDWAKD 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.'

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