A narrative of the mutiny on board his majesty's ship Bounty |
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I have probably read five books on the adventure known as The Mutiny on the Bounty. This saga could not be improved by Hollywood writers, although many have tried in various movies on the subject. Still the subject captures the interest of many worldwide. It does mine. This is Bligh's own accounting of the journey and mutiny and his feat of returning from being cast adrift in a small boat after the mutiny. Some considered his feat of navigation back to safety the most outstanding feat of naval navigation in history.
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A Narrative of the Mutiny on Board His Majesty's Ship Bounty William Bligh No preview available - 2017 |
Common terms and phrases
able afternoon allowance appeared arms arrived assistance attended bearing birds boat bread bread-fruit brought called canoes Cape Captain Captain Cook carried chiefs Christian cloth coast cocoa-nut considered continued course covered desired determined dinner directed discovered distance east eight expected feet fish five four friends fruit gave give governor half hands hopes immediately island keep kind land latitude leagues leave likewise lives longitude manner Matavai miles morning natives night noon o'clock obliged observed occasion officers Otaheite party passage passed person piece plantains plants present provisions quarter rain reason received remained returned round sail seemed seen sent served ship shore side situation soon suffered supply taken thing thought Tinah told took trees voyage weather whole wife wind women wood young
Popular passages
Page 40 - 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...
Page 39 - ... 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. I demanded the reason of such violence, but received no other answer than abuse,...
Page 57 - It appeared scarcely credible to ourselves that, in an open boat, and so poorly provided, we should have been able to reach the coast of Timor in forty-one days after leaving Tofoa, having in that time run, by our log, a distance of 3,618 miles and that, notwithstanding our extreme distress, no one should have perished in the voyage.
Page 40 - 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...
Page 41 - 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...
Page 41 - 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.
Page 47 - I also amused all hands with describing the situation of New Guinea and New Holland, and gave them every information in my power, that in case any accident happened to me, those who survived might have some idea of what they were about, and be able to find their way to Timor, which at present they knew nothing of, more than the name, and some not even that. At night I served a quarter of a pint of water, and half an ounce of bread, for supper.
Page 44 - I therefore adopted the expedient of throwing overboard some clothes, which, as I expected, they stopped to pick up; and, as it was by this time almost dark, they gave over the attack and returned towards the shore, leaving us to reflect on our unhappy situation. The poor man killed by the natives was John Norton; this was his second voyage with me as a quartermaster, and his worthy character, made me lament his loss very much. He has left an aged parent, I am told, whom he supported.
Page 45 - ... at watch and watch ; so that one half always sat up, while the other lay down on the boat's bottom...
Page 39 - Samuel, 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.
Bibliographic information
| Title | A narrative of the mutiny on board his majesty's ship Bounty Standard libr. ed |
| Author | William Bligh |
| Published | 1838 |
| Original from | Oxford University |
| Digitized | 17 May 2006 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |