Captain Bligh's Second Voyage To The South Sea

LONDON:

Captain Bligh...

3 minute read

Read Chapter

ADVERTISEMENT.

At the time I published the Narrative of the Mutiny on Board the Bounty it was my intention that the preceding part of the Voyage should be contained in a separate account. This method I have since been induced to alter. The reason of the Narrative appearing first was for the purpose of communicating early information concerning an event which had attracted the public notice: and, being drawn up in a hasty manner, it required many corrections. Some circumstances likewise were omitted; and the no

1 minute read

Read Chapter

LIST OF THE PLATES.

Head of Lieutenant Bligh. Plan and profile of the deck of the Bounty. Sections of the Breadfruit. Plan of Toahroah harbour. Copy of the draught from which the Bounty's launch was built. Chart of Islands discovered from the launch. Chart of part of the north-east coast of New Holland. Chart of the track of the launch from Tofoa to Timor. Plan and Section of Part of the Bounty Armed Transport, showing the manner of Fitting and Stowing the Potts, for receiving the Bread-fruit Plants....

26 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 1.

1787. The King having been graciously pleased to comply with a request from the merchants and planters interested in his Majesty's West India possessions that the breadfruit tree might be introduced into those islands, a vessel proper for the undertaking was bought and taken into dock at Deptford to be provided with the necessary fixtures and preparations for executing the object of the voyage. These were completed according to a plan of my much honoured friend, Sir Joseph Banks, which in the ev

15 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 2.

1787. December. Sunday 23. On Sunday morning the 23rd of December 1787 we sailed from Spithead and, passing through the Needles, directed our course down channel with a fresh gale of wind at east. In the afternoon one of the seamen, in furling the main-top-gallant-sail, fell off the yard and was so fortunate as to save himself by catching hold of the main-top-mast-stay in his fall. At night the wind increased to a strong gale with a heavy sea. Tuesday 25. It moderated however on the 25th and all

30 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 3.

1788. April. Friday 25. The westerly winds and stormy weather continuing gave me no reason to repent of my determination. On the 25th at noon we were in latitude 54 degrees 16 minutes south and longitude 57 degrees 4 minutes west. The nearest of the Falkland Islands by my reckoning then bore north 13 degrees west; distance 23 leagues. Our stock of water being sufficient to serve us to the Cape of Good Hope I did not think it worth while to stop at these islands as the refreshment we might obtain

9 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 4.

1788. July. We lost sight of the land the day after leaving False Bay and steered towards the east-south-east, having variable winds the first week with much thunder, lightning and rain. The remainder of this passage the winds were mostly between the south and west blowing strong. There were almost every day great numbers of pintada, albatrosses, blue petrels, and other oceanic birds about us; but it was observed that if the wind came from the northward, only for a few hours, the birds generally

18 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 5.

1788. September. Being clear of the land we steered towards the east-south-east, it being my intention to pass to the southward of New Zealand, as I expected in that route to meet with constant westerly winds; in which however I was disappointed, for they proved variable and frequently from the eastward blowing strong, with thick misty weather. The thermometer varied from 41 to 46 degrees. Sunday 14. On the 14th at noon we were in 49 degrees 24 minutes south latitude and in 168 degrees 3 minutes

8 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 6.

1788. October. Sunday 26. The ship being anchored, our number of visitors continued to increase; but as yet we saw no person that we could recollect to have been of much consequence. Some inferior chiefs made me presents of a few hogs and I made them presents in return. We were supplied with coconuts in great abundance but breadfruit was scarce. Many enquiries were made after Captain Cook, Sir Joseph Banks, and many of their former friends. They said a ship had been here from which they had lear

29 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 7.

1788. November. Monday 3. The trade for provisions I directed to be carried on at the tent by Mr. Peckover the gunner. Moannah likewise resided there as a guard over his countrymen; but though it appeared to be the wish of all the chiefs that we should remain unmolested it was not possible entirely to prevent them from pilfering. My table at dinner was generally crowded. Tinah, Oreepyah, Poeeno, and Moannah, were my regular guests and I was seldom without some chiefs from other districts. Almost

15 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 8.

1788. November. After dinner I went on shore and, while I was at the tents, from having exposed myself too much in the sun, I was taken ill and continued in much pain for near an hour. This was soon known among the natives and I was exceedingly surprised to see Tinah and all the principal people, both men and women, collecting round me and offering their assistance. For this short illness I was made ample amends by the pleasure I received from the attention and appearance of affection in these k

17 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 9.

1788. December. Wednesday 17. This morning I took a walk into the country accompanied by Nelson and my old friend Moannah. The breadth of the border of low land before we arrived at the foot of the hills was near three miles. This part of our journey was through a delightful country, well covered with breadfruit and coconut-trees, and strewed with houses in which were swarms of children. We then proceeded along a valley, still among houses, with plantations of yams, tarro, the cloth-plant, and t

26 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 10.

1789. February. Tuesday 3. I was present this afternoon at a wrestling match where a young man, by an unlucky fall, put his arm out of joint at the elbow: three stout men immediately took hold of him and, two of them fixing their feet against his ribs, replaced it. I had sent for our surgeon but before he arrived all was well, except a small swelling of the muscles in consequence of the strain. I enquired what they would have done if the bone had been broken and, to show me their practice, they

16 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 11.

1789. March. From the 5th to the 14th of this month the wind blew constantly from between the north-west and south-west with a great deal of rain. This was the longest continuance of westerly winds without interruption that we experienced. On the 13th several canoes arrived here and at Matavai from Tethuroa: in these were a large tribe of Arreoys, and among them Huheine Moyere, the wife of Oreepyah, who is an Arreoy woman, and remained at Tethuroa after Oreepyah came away. On her arrival a cerem

10 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 12.

1789. April. Sunday 5. We steered towards the island Huaheine, which we got sight of the next morning. At noon we brought to near the entrance of Owharre harbour, it not being my intention to anchor. We could see every part of the harbour distinctly, but my attention was particularly directed to the spot where Omai's house had stood, no part of which was now visible. It was near three o'clock before any canoes came off to us, for the people on shore imagined that the ship was coming into the har

15 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 13.

1789. April. Monday 27. We kept near the island Kotoo all the afternoon in hopes that some canoes would come off to the ship; but in this I was disappointed. The wind being northerly in the evening we steered to the westward to pass to the south of Tofoa. I gave directions for this course to be continued 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. Tuesday 28. Just before sun-rising, w

12 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 14.

1789. April. My first determination was to seek a supply of breadfruit and water at Tofoa, and afterwards to sail for Tongataboo, and there risk a solicitation to Poulaho the king to equip our boat and grant us 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 pounds of bread, 16 pieces of pork, each piece weighing 2 pounds, 6 quarts of rum, 6 bottles of wine, with 28 gallons of water, and four empty barrecoes. F

17 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 15.

1789. May. It was about eight o'clock at night when we bore away under a reefed lug fore-sail and, having divided the people into watches and got the boat in a little order, we returned God thanks for our miraculous preservation and, fully confident of his gracious support, I found my mind more at ease than it had been for some time past. Sunday 3. At daybreak the gale increased; the sun rose very fiery and red, a sure indication of a severe gale of wind. At eight it blew a violent storm and the

33 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 16.

May 1789. As we advanced within the reefs the coast began to show itself very distinctly in a variety of high and low land, some parts of which were covered with wood. In our way towards the shore we fell in with a point of a reef which is connected with that towards the sea, and here we came to a grapnel and tried to catch fish but had no success. The island Direction at this time bore south three or four leagues. Two islands lay about four miles to the west by north, and appeared eligible for

31 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 17.

June 1789. Wednesday 3. At eight o'clock in the evening we once more launched into the open ocean. Miserable as our situation was in every respect I was secretly surprised to see that it did not appear to affect anyone so strongly as myself; on the contrary it seemed as if they had embarked on a voyage to Timor in a vessel sufficiently calculated for safety and convenience. So much confidence gave me great pleasure and I may venture to assert that to this cause our preservation is chiefly to be

23 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 18.

JUNE 1789. TIMOR. From the great humanity and attention of the governor and the gentlemen at Coupang we received every kind of assistance and were not long without evident signs of returning health. Shortly after our arrival I presented to the governor a formal account of the loss of the Bounty; and a requisition in His Majesty's name that instructions might be sent to all the Dutch settlements to stop the ship if she made her appearance. With this a complete descriptive list of the mutineers wa

9 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 19.

AUGUST 1789. Thursday 20. From Coupang we steered north-west by west having a moderate breeze at south-east with fair weather. Saturday 22. At daylight we saw the island Flores to the northward. At noon latitude observed 9 degrees 27 minutes south, and longitude by account from Coupang 2 degrees 10 minutes west. Our distance from the coast of Flores was about 10 leagues; and two high peaked mountains bore north half east and north-north-west. These two mountains resemble each other in shape and

8 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER 20.

OCTOBER 1789. In the afternoon at four o'clock I went on shore and landed at a house by the river where strangers first stop and give an account who they are, whence they came, etc. From this place a Malay gentleman took me in a carriage to Sabandar, Mr. Engelhard, whose house was in the environs of the city on the side nearest the shipping. The Sabandar is the officer with whom all strangers are obliged to transact their business: at least the whole must go through his hands. With him I went to

16 minute read

Read Chapter