DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70300#0044
28
kirby’s wonderful museum.
forcibly entered by the officer of the watch, assisted by three
others upon the watch, who dragged him instantly on deck,
menacing his life if he attempted to speak. His endeavours
to exhort and bring back the conspirators to their duty,
proved of no avail. Each of the desperadoes was armed
with a drawn cutlass, or fixed bayonet, and all their muskets
were avowed to be charged. Captain Bligh discovered,
when he came upon deck, several of the crew, and most of
the officers, pinioned ; and while he was thus contemplating
their perilous state, the ship’s boat was let over her side, and
all who were not on the part of the conspirators, to the num-
ber of eighteen, besides the captain, were committed to the
boat, and no other nourishment afforded them than about one
hundred and forty pounds of bread, thirty pounds of meat,
one gallon and a half of rum, a like portion of wine, and a
few gallons of water. A compass and quadrant were se-
cured by one of the devoted victims, as he was stepping into
the boat; and thus abandoned, the mutineers, after giving
them a cheer, stood away, as they said, for Otaheite.
The captain, in this dreadful situation, found his boatswain,
carpenter, gunner, surgeon’s mate, two midshipmen, and one
master’s mate, with Mr. Nelson, the botanist, and a few in-
ferior officers, among those who were likely to share his fate.
After a short consultation, it was deemed expedient to put
back to the Friendly Islands; and, accordingly, they landed
on one of these, in hopes they might improve their small
stock of provisions, on the 30th of April, but were driven off
by the natives two days after, and pursued with such hostility
that one man was killed, and several wounded. It was then
deliberated whether they should return to Otaheite, and throw
themselves on the clemency of the natives; but the appre-
hension of falling in with the Bounty, determined them,
with one assent, to make the best of their way to Timor;
and, to effect this enterprise, astonishing to relate, they cal-
culated the distance, near four thousand miles; and, in order
that their wretched supply of provisions might endure till
kirby’s wonderful museum.
forcibly entered by the officer of the watch, assisted by three
others upon the watch, who dragged him instantly on deck,
menacing his life if he attempted to speak. His endeavours
to exhort and bring back the conspirators to their duty,
proved of no avail. Each of the desperadoes was armed
with a drawn cutlass, or fixed bayonet, and all their muskets
were avowed to be charged. Captain Bligh discovered,
when he came upon deck, several of the crew, and most of
the officers, pinioned ; and while he was thus contemplating
their perilous state, the ship’s boat was let over her side, and
all who were not on the part of the conspirators, to the num-
ber of eighteen, besides the captain, were committed to the
boat, and no other nourishment afforded them than about one
hundred and forty pounds of bread, thirty pounds of meat,
one gallon and a half of rum, a like portion of wine, and a
few gallons of water. A compass and quadrant were se-
cured by one of the devoted victims, as he was stepping into
the boat; and thus abandoned, the mutineers, after giving
them a cheer, stood away, as they said, for Otaheite.
The captain, in this dreadful situation, found his boatswain,
carpenter, gunner, surgeon’s mate, two midshipmen, and one
master’s mate, with Mr. Nelson, the botanist, and a few in-
ferior officers, among those who were likely to share his fate.
After a short consultation, it was deemed expedient to put
back to the Friendly Islands; and, accordingly, they landed
on one of these, in hopes they might improve their small
stock of provisions, on the 30th of April, but were driven off
by the natives two days after, and pursued with such hostility
that one man was killed, and several wounded. It was then
deliberated whether they should return to Otaheite, and throw
themselves on the clemency of the natives; but the appre-
hension of falling in with the Bounty, determined them,
with one assent, to make the best of their way to Timor;
and, to effect this enterprise, astonishing to relate, they cal-
culated the distance, near four thousand miles; and, in order
that their wretched supply of provisions might endure till