Posted on Jun 14, 2018
9
9
0
English Captain William Bligh and 18 others, cast adrift from the HMS Bounty seven weeks before, reach Timor in the East Indies after traveling nearly 4,000 miles in a small, open boat.
On April 28, Fletcher Christian, the master’s mate on the Bounty, led a successful mutiny against Captain Bligh and his supporters. The British naval vessel had been transporting breadfruit saplings from Tahiti for planting on British colonies in the Caribbean. The voyage was difficult, and ill feelings were rampant between the captain, officers, and crew. Bligh, who eventually would fall prey to a total of three mutinies in his career, was an oppressive commander and insulted those under him. On April 28, near the island of Tonga, Christian and 25 petty officers and seamen seized the ship. The captain and 18 of his crew were set adrift in a small boat with 25 gallons of water, 150 pounds of bread, 30 pounds of pork, six quarts of rum, and six bottles of wine.
By setting the captain and his officers adrift in an overcrowded 23-foot-long boat in the middle of the Pacific, Christian and his conspirators had apparently handed them a death sentence. By remarkable seamanship, however, Bligh and his men reached Timor in the East Indies on June 14, 1789, after a voyage of about 3,600 miles. Bligh returned to England and soon sailed again to Tahiti, from where he successfully transported breadfruit trees to the West Indies.
Meanwhile, Christian and his men attempted to establish themselves on the island of Tubuai. Unsuccessful in their colonizing effort, the Bounty sailed north to Tahiti, and 16 crewmen decided to stay there, despite the risk of capture by British authorities. Christian and eight others, together with six Tahitian men, a dozen Tahitian women, and a child, decided to search the South Pacific for a safe haven. In January 1790, the Bounty settled on Pitcairn Island, an isolated and uninhabited volcanic island more than 1,000 miles east of Tahiti. The mutineers who remained on Tahiti were captured and taken back to England, where three were hanged. A British ship searched for Christian and the others but did not find them.
In 1808, an American whaling vessel was drawn to Pitcairn by smoke from a cooking fire. The Americans discovered a community of children and women led by John Adams, the sole survivor of the original nine mutineers. According to Adams, after settling on Pitcairn the colonists had stripped and burned the Bounty, and internal strife and sickness had led to the death of Fletcher and all the men but Adams. In 1825, a British ship arrived and formally granted Adams amnesty, and he served as patriarch of the Pitcairn community until his death in 1829.
In 1831, the Pitcairn islanders were resettled on Tahiti, but unsatisfied with life there they soon returned to their native island. In 1838, the Pitcairn Islands, which includes three nearby uninhabited islands, were incorporated into the British Empire. By 1855, Pitcairn’s population had grown to nearly 200, and the two-square-mile island could not sustain its residents. In 1856, the islanders were removed to Norfolk Island, a formal penal colony nearly 4,000 miles to the west. However, less than two years later, 17 of the islanders returned to Pitcairn, followed by more families in 1864. Today, around 40 people live on Pitcairn Island, and all but a handful are descendants of the Bounty mutineers. About a thousand residents of Norfolk Island (half its population) trace their lineage from Fletcher Christian and the eight other Englishmen.
On April 28, Fletcher Christian, the master’s mate on the Bounty, led a successful mutiny against Captain Bligh and his supporters. The British naval vessel had been transporting breadfruit saplings from Tahiti for planting on British colonies in the Caribbean. The voyage was difficult, and ill feelings were rampant between the captain, officers, and crew. Bligh, who eventually would fall prey to a total of three mutinies in his career, was an oppressive commander and insulted those under him. On April 28, near the island of Tonga, Christian and 25 petty officers and seamen seized the ship. The captain and 18 of his crew were set adrift in a small boat with 25 gallons of water, 150 pounds of bread, 30 pounds of pork, six quarts of rum, and six bottles of wine.
By setting the captain and his officers adrift in an overcrowded 23-foot-long boat in the middle of the Pacific, Christian and his conspirators had apparently handed them a death sentence. By remarkable seamanship, however, Bligh and his men reached Timor in the East Indies on June 14, 1789, after a voyage of about 3,600 miles. Bligh returned to England and soon sailed again to Tahiti, from where he successfully transported breadfruit trees to the West Indies.
Meanwhile, Christian and his men attempted to establish themselves on the island of Tubuai. Unsuccessful in their colonizing effort, the Bounty sailed north to Tahiti, and 16 crewmen decided to stay there, despite the risk of capture by British authorities. Christian and eight others, together with six Tahitian men, a dozen Tahitian women, and a child, decided to search the South Pacific for a safe haven. In January 1790, the Bounty settled on Pitcairn Island, an isolated and uninhabited volcanic island more than 1,000 miles east of Tahiti. The mutineers who remained on Tahiti were captured and taken back to England, where three were hanged. A British ship searched for Christian and the others but did not find them.
In 1808, an American whaling vessel was drawn to Pitcairn by smoke from a cooking fire. The Americans discovered a community of children and women led by John Adams, the sole survivor of the original nine mutineers. According to Adams, after settling on Pitcairn the colonists had stripped and burned the Bounty, and internal strife and sickness had led to the death of Fletcher and all the men but Adams. In 1825, a British ship arrived and formally granted Adams amnesty, and he served as patriarch of the Pitcairn community until his death in 1829.
In 1831, the Pitcairn islanders were resettled on Tahiti, but unsatisfied with life there they soon returned to their native island. In 1838, the Pitcairn Islands, which includes three nearby uninhabited islands, were incorporated into the British Empire. By 1855, Pitcairn’s population had grown to nearly 200, and the two-square-mile island could not sustain its residents. In 1856, the islanders were removed to Norfolk Island, a formal penal colony nearly 4,000 miles to the west. However, less than two years later, 17 of the islanders returned to Pitcairn, followed by more families in 1864. Today, around 40 people live on Pitcairn Island, and all but a handful are descendants of the Bounty mutineers. About a thousand residents of Norfolk Island (half its population) trace their lineage from Fletcher Christian and the eight other Englishmen.
Bounty mutiny survivors reach Timor - Jun 14, 1789 - HISTORY.com
Posted from history.com
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
4
4
0
SGT Brian Nile SGT Robert George SFC Shirley Whitfield MSG Mark Million COL Lee Flemming SFC George Smith SrA Christopher Wright LTC (Join to see) PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SSgt Harvey "Skip" Porter SCPO Morris Ramsey SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Alan K. LTC Greg Henning SSgt (Join to see) Sgt Trevor Barrett Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. MSG Andrew White SP5 Mark Kuzinski
(4)
(0)
3
3
0
Short Documentary on Captain William Bligh of the Mutiny on the Bounty
Short Documentary emphasizing the Faith that William Bligh had in God. Many people today don't really know much about Bligh other than that he was a hard and...
Thank you my friend TSgt Joe C. for making us aware that on June 14, 1789 English Captain William Bligh and 18 others, from the HMS Bounty seven weeks before, reached Timor in the East Indies after traveling nearly 4,000 miles in a an overcrowded and uncovered open 23-foot-long boat.
They were cast adrift by mutineer's led by former master’s mate Fletcher Christian.
At least the mutineers set adrift the captain and 18 of his crew with 25 gallons of water, 150 pounds of bread, 30 pounds of pork, six quarts of rum, and six bottles of wine.
Image: Captain William Bligh, Frontispiece to A Voyage to the South Sea 1792
Read more at rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/william-bligh#xpegQUaGSZEt3uE5.99
Background on William Bligh from rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/william-bligh#xpegQUaGSZEt3uE5.99
"William Bligh was an officer in the Royal Navy and was the victim of a mutiny on his ship, the Bounty, in 1789.
Bligh (1754–1817) had a reputation for having a volatile temper and often clashed with his fellow officers and crewmen. His crew mutinied against him during a return trip from Tahiti in 1789.
Early career
Bligh, the son of a Plymouth customs officer, went to sea aged seven as a captain's servant on board HM Monmouth. He became a skilled young seaman and navigator and in 1776, aged 22, he was appointed sailing master on HM Resolution, serving under Captain James Cook on his final Pacific voyage. He did fine chart and survey work, published alongside Cook's journals, but resented the lack of credit received for this.
1789 Mutiny on the Bounty
By 1781 he had made lieutenant, and six years later, he was recommended the role of acting captain to command the HM sloop Bounty. This was to lead a mission to transfer breadfruit from Tahiti to the Caribbean, as food for the slave labour force used on plantations there.
After five months on Tahiti, master’s mate Fletcher Christian led a mutiny on board the Bounty on 28 April 1789. Eighteen mutineers set Bligh and 18 of his loyal crewmen adrift in a small boat. Bligh, however, was a skilled navigator and managed to sail them nearly 4000 miles to Timor, in the Dutch East Indies. From there, he brought his men back to England to report the mutiny, arriving 14 March 1790.
1791 Return to Tahiti
Bligh was tried for the loss of the Bounty but acquitted and promoted to captain. In August 1791 he once again set sail for Tahiti, but this time he was better prepared, with two ships HMS Providence and Assistance. Despite difficulties it was a success; Bligh transferred a cargo-load of breadfruit to the West Indies and returned to Britain with samples of ackee fruit from Jamaica, which he sent to the Royal Society.
However, upon his return Bligh found his reputation had been tarnished thanks to the trial of the Bounty mutineers. He was put on half pay and unemployed for 18 months. Bligh returned to active service in 1795 and served with distinction under Admiral Duncan at the Battle of Camperdown in 1797 and with Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801.
1808 Rum Rebellion
In 1806 Bligh was appointed Governor and Captain-General of New South Wales, Australia. Under his strict authority, he set out to stamp out the corruption that was rife among officials and the military in Australia at that time. His interference was not met kindly and in 1808 the military deposed him and put him under house arrest – this was known as the ‘Rum Rebellion’.
Bligh returned to Britain in 1810 and in 1811 was promoted to Rear-Admiral, but his days of active service were over and he died in 1817."
"Short Documentary emphasizing the Faith that William Bligh had in God. Many people today don't really know much about Bligh other than that he was a hard and seemingly strict disciplinarian. We do however find that there is another side of Bligh not commonly known or necessarily taught, that was his Faith in the God of the Bible. This is just one of many stories of Faith from the Colonisation of Australia. Watch the full documentary to find out more.
Bligh's story most notably involves the Mutiny on the Bounty and the Rum Rebellion. Bligh's trip in an open boat from Tonga to Fiji, the New Hebrides, through Providential Channel, and then onto Timor, through the South Pacific. It is still considered today to be the most arduous & difficult boat trip of all time. Bligh later became Governor of NSW and was sent from England to sort out the issue of corruption, where officers were involved in the illegal trade of Rum. Hence how we know it today as the Rum Rebellion."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J3IHrMvC2s
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SSG John Ross SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Gabriel F.
They were cast adrift by mutineer's led by former master’s mate Fletcher Christian.
At least the mutineers set adrift the captain and 18 of his crew with 25 gallons of water, 150 pounds of bread, 30 pounds of pork, six quarts of rum, and six bottles of wine.
Image: Captain William Bligh, Frontispiece to A Voyage to the South Sea 1792
Read more at rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/william-bligh#xpegQUaGSZEt3uE5.99
Background on William Bligh from rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/william-bligh#xpegQUaGSZEt3uE5.99
"William Bligh was an officer in the Royal Navy and was the victim of a mutiny on his ship, the Bounty, in 1789.
Bligh (1754–1817) had a reputation for having a volatile temper and often clashed with his fellow officers and crewmen. His crew mutinied against him during a return trip from Tahiti in 1789.
Early career
Bligh, the son of a Plymouth customs officer, went to sea aged seven as a captain's servant on board HM Monmouth. He became a skilled young seaman and navigator and in 1776, aged 22, he was appointed sailing master on HM Resolution, serving under Captain James Cook on his final Pacific voyage. He did fine chart and survey work, published alongside Cook's journals, but resented the lack of credit received for this.
1789 Mutiny on the Bounty
By 1781 he had made lieutenant, and six years later, he was recommended the role of acting captain to command the HM sloop Bounty. This was to lead a mission to transfer breadfruit from Tahiti to the Caribbean, as food for the slave labour force used on plantations there.
After five months on Tahiti, master’s mate Fletcher Christian led a mutiny on board the Bounty on 28 April 1789. Eighteen mutineers set Bligh and 18 of his loyal crewmen adrift in a small boat. Bligh, however, was a skilled navigator and managed to sail them nearly 4000 miles to Timor, in the Dutch East Indies. From there, he brought his men back to England to report the mutiny, arriving 14 March 1790.
1791 Return to Tahiti
Bligh was tried for the loss of the Bounty but acquitted and promoted to captain. In August 1791 he once again set sail for Tahiti, but this time he was better prepared, with two ships HMS Providence and Assistance. Despite difficulties it was a success; Bligh transferred a cargo-load of breadfruit to the West Indies and returned to Britain with samples of ackee fruit from Jamaica, which he sent to the Royal Society.
However, upon his return Bligh found his reputation had been tarnished thanks to the trial of the Bounty mutineers. He was put on half pay and unemployed for 18 months. Bligh returned to active service in 1795 and served with distinction under Admiral Duncan at the Battle of Camperdown in 1797 and with Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801.
1808 Rum Rebellion
In 1806 Bligh was appointed Governor and Captain-General of New South Wales, Australia. Under his strict authority, he set out to stamp out the corruption that was rife among officials and the military in Australia at that time. His interference was not met kindly and in 1808 the military deposed him and put him under house arrest – this was known as the ‘Rum Rebellion’.
Bligh returned to Britain in 1810 and in 1811 was promoted to Rear-Admiral, but his days of active service were over and he died in 1817."
"Short Documentary emphasizing the Faith that William Bligh had in God. Many people today don't really know much about Bligh other than that he was a hard and seemingly strict disciplinarian. We do however find that there is another side of Bligh not commonly known or necessarily taught, that was his Faith in the God of the Bible. This is just one of many stories of Faith from the Colonisation of Australia. Watch the full documentary to find out more.
Bligh's story most notably involves the Mutiny on the Bounty and the Rum Rebellion. Bligh's trip in an open boat from Tonga to Fiji, the New Hebrides, through Providential Channel, and then onto Timor, through the South Pacific. It is still considered today to be the most arduous & difficult boat trip of all time. Bligh later became Governor of NSW and was sent from England to sort out the issue of corruption, where officers were involved in the illegal trade of Rum. Hence how we know it today as the Rum Rebellion."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J3IHrMvC2s
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SSG John Ross SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright Cpl Gabriel F.
(3)
(0)
0
0
0
A bit of seamanship that was phenomenal. This whole saga has always intrigued me.
(0)
(0)
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Read it cover to cover many times. Growing up in New England and being Danish, the lure of the sea was always great for me. Mystic Seaport was an annual school field trip so I learned to love this stuff very early in life.
(0)
(0)
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Well we are the generation that spawned Cliff Notes after all! But you're right, found many books that I 'had' to read in high school were actually very good 40 or so years later
(0)
(0)
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
:-) Oh I got lots of "Cs", frankly watching my oldest grandchildren getting into college and what is needed now, I wonder how I ever got accepted.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google