Tales of Shipwrecks and Other Disasters at Sea

by Thomas Bingley

The mutineers then ordered the boatswain to hoist the launch out, and several of the officers were ordered into it. As Captain Bligh now saw the fate that awaited him and the obnoxious members of his crew, he once more made an effort to reason with those around him, but was immediately checked, and again threatened with instant death. When they had succeeded in getting rid of such of the crew as they disliked, the mutineers forced the captain over the ship's side into the boat, and after subjecting their victims to much ridicule, and making sport of their situation, they at length cast them adrift on the open sea! As the vessel sailed away, they could hear the mutineers shouting "Huzza for Otaheite!" It was therefore supposed that the enticements of a delightful climate and the allurements of a continuance of the life of unrestrained indulgence which they had recently led on that island, had tempted them to the commission of the crime of which they had been guilty.

The launch (a boat twenty-three feet in length) contained nineteen persons; and the quantity of provisions which they had been permitted to secure, amounted to only one hundred and fifty pounds weight of bread, about thirty pounds of pork, six quarts of rum, six bottles of wine, and twenty-eight gallons of water.

Thus abandoned, Captain Bligh and his companions directed their course to Tofoa, in the hope of there obtaining a supply of bread-fruit and water. They had at first great difficulty in finding any of the natives; at length, however, having fallen in with two of them, several others soon collected, from whom they obtained a small supply of such articles as they wanted. By degrees the number of natives increased, and they began to show symptoms of some hostile design; but they were, for the time, overawed by the undaunted behavior of Captain Bligh. As the evening advanced, however, they continued to congregate, all carrying stones in their hands, which they continued knocking together in token of attack, and on the party proceeding to embark with the provisions which they had accumulated, the attack commenced. They had all got in safety to the boat, and one of the men jumped on shore in order to untie the rope by which it was fastened, when he was instantly knocked down and murdered in the most inhuman manner. Finding that there was no hope of lending assistance to their unfortunate companion, they hastily pushed off. Some of the natives got into their canoes, and gave chase, throwing the stones with which they were armed, with such power and effect as nearly to disable every person on board. Fortunately, it occurred to Captain Bligh to drop some clothes overboard, when the canoes stopping to pick them up, allowed them to get a little ahead of their pursuers, and it being now almost dark, they gave up the chase.

Seeing that there was now no hope of relief until they reached Timour, a distance of full twelve hundred leagues, where there was a Dutch settlement, Captain Bligh and his companions bent their course across an ocean whose navigation was then little known, exposed as well to the dangers of the deep as to famine, their little store only allowing them to serve out one ounce of bread and a quarter of a pint of water per day.

Captain Bligh has left a very interesting journal of their sufferings during this long and hazardous voyage, from which I will read you a few of the daily entries. It was about eight o'clock at night on the 2nd of May, that they bore away from Tofoa, and having divided the people into watches, and put the boat somewhat in order, they returned thanks to God for their miraculous preservation.

On the 3d, it blew a violent storm, and the sea ran so high, that they were obliged to keep constantly bailing, and were in great apprehension that the bread, which was in bags, would be spoiled; to prevent this they threw overboard all superfluous clothes, with some spare sails and ropes, in order to lighten the boat, and emptying the carpenter's chest, stowed the tools at the bottom of the boat, and put the bread into the chest.

On the morning of the 5th, the gale had abated, and the boat was running among some islands; but after their reception at Tofoa, they did not venture to land. Upon examining the state of their bread, they found that a great part of it was damaged; but even this was carefully preserved for use. The next day they still continued to see islands at a distance; and for the first time, to their great joy, they hooked a fish, but were miserably disappointed by losing it, as they were trying to get it into the boat. They were dreadfully cramped from the want of room, which they endeavored to remedy by putting themselves at watch and watch; one half sitting up, while the others lay down in the bottom of the boat, with nothing to cover them, and so constantly wet, that after a few hours' sleep, they were scarcely able to move.

On the 7th, they passed close to some rocky isles, from which they were pursued by two large sailing canoes, but in the afternoon they gave over the chase. Soon after, it began to rain very heavily, when every person on board did his utmost to catch some water, by which they increased their stock to thirty-four gallons, besides quenching their thirst for the first time since they had been in the boat. The following day they had an allowance of an ounce and a half of pork, a tea-spoonful of rum, half a pint of cocoa-nut milk, and an ounce of bread. The afternoon was employed in cleaning out the boat, and getting everything dry and in order. Hitherto Captain Bligh had issued the allowance by guess, but he now made a pair of scales with two cocoa-nut shells, and finding some pistol balls in the boat, which weighed twenty-five to the pound, he adopted one of these as the weight of bread to be served to each person at one time.

On the 9th they experienced a violent storm of thunder and lightning. They collected about twenty gallons of water; but were so miserably wet and cold, that a tea-spoonful of rum was served to each. The weather continued extremely bad, and the wind so increased, that hardly one of them got any sleep that night. The morning of the 10th brought no relief except its light. The sea broke over the boat so much, that two men were kept constantly bailing; and it was necessary to keep the boat before the wind to prevent its filling. The allowance was now one bullet-weight of bread and a quarter of a pint of water, at eight in the morning, at noon, and at sunset, with the addition of half an ounce of pork for dinner.