Dangerous Voyage of Captain Bligh in an Open Boat, Over 1200 Leagues of The Ocean, in the Year 1789

Dangerous Voyage of Captain Bligh in an Open Boat, Over 1200 Leagues of The Ocean, in the Year 1789, was published in Dublin in 1820. It also contains an appendix, containing an account of Otaheite, and of some productions of that island. This is the actual account by Captain William Bligh of his voyage in the small boat with the Bounty crew after the mutiny on the Bounty. It has been said that this voyage was one of the greatest in history in a small boat. On 18th April 1789, the notorious mutiny broke out on board, led by Masters Mate Fletcher Christian and Midshipman Ned Young, Captain Bligh and 18 loyal members of his crew were set adrift off Tonga Islands in the ship's launch, with 150 pounds of biscuit, 20 pounds of salt meat, 120 liters of water, the ship's log, a compass and sextant. Bligh had confidence in his navigational skills, which he had perfected under the instruction of Captain Cook. His first responsibility was to survive and get word of the mutiny as soon as possible to British vessels that could pursue the mutineers. Thus, he undertook the seemingly impossible 3,618 nautical mile (6,701 km) voyage to Timor. In this remarkable act of seamanship, Bligh succeeded in reaching Timor after a 47-day voyage, the only casualty being the crewman killed on Tofua. Several of the men who survived this ordeal with him soon died of sickness, possibly malaria, in the pestilential Dutch East Indies port of Batavia, as they waited for transport to Britain. (189 pages)

This book also includes 7 illustrations which are included at the end of the book.

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Excerpts:

.....Hitherto the voyage had advanced in a course of uninterrupted prosperity; and had been attended with circumstances equally pleasing and satisfactory. But a very different scene was now to be disclosed; a conspiracy had been formed, which was to render all our last labor productive only of misery and distress; and it had been concerted with so much secrecy and circumspection, that no one circumstance escaped to betray the impending calamity.
.....On the night of Monday, the watch was set is I have described. Just before sunrise on Tuesday morning, while I was yet asleep, Mr. Christian, with the master-at-arms, gunner's mate, and Thomas Burkitt, seaman, came into my cabin, and seizing me, tied my hands with a cord behind my back; threatening me with instant death if I spoke or made the least noise. I nevertheless called out as loud as I could, in hopes of assistance; but the officers not of their party, were already secured by sentinels at their doors. At my own cabin door there were three men, besides the four within; all except Christian had muskets and bayonets; he had only a cutlass. I was dragged out of bed, and forced on deck in my shirt, suffering great pain in the mean time from the tightness with which my hands were tied. On demanding the reason of such violence, the only answer was abuse for not holding my tongue. The master, the gunner, surgeon, master's mate, and Nelson, the gardener, were kept confined below, and the fore hatchway guarded by sentinels. The boatswain and carpenter, and also the clerk, were allowed to come on deck, where they saw me standing abaft the mizzen mast, with my hands tied behind my back, under a guard, with Christian at their head. The boatswain was then ordered to hoist out the launch; accompanied by a threat, if he did not do it instantly to take care of himself.
.....The boat being hoisted out, Mr. Hayward and Mr. Mallet, two of the midshipmen, and Mr. Samuel, the clerk, were ordered into it. I demanded the intention of giving this order, and endeavored to persuade the people near me not to persist in such acts of violence, but it was to no effect; for the constant answer was, "Hold your tongue, Sir, or you are dead this moment."
.....No sooner was I in the boat, than the attack began from about 200 natives. The poor unfortunate man who had run up the beach, was knocked down, and the stones flew like a shower of shot. Many Indians got hold of the stern-rope, and were near hauling the boat on shore, which they certainly would have effected, if I had not had a knife in my pocket with which I cut the rope. We then pulled off to the grapnel, every one being more or less hurt. I now saw five of the natives about the poor man they had killed, two of them beating him on the head with stones in their hands.