Being now ready for sea, every person was ordered to attend prayers; and just as they were on the point of embarking, about twenty naked savages made their appearance, and beckoned them to come near; but as they were armed with spears and lances, it was thought advisable to decline the invitation, and proceed on their voyage.
At length, after a variety of adventures, and the endurance of privations almost unexampled, on the 11th of June Captain Bligh announced the pleasing intelligence to his companions, that an observation of longitude appeared to indicate that they had passed the meridian of the eastern part of Timor. This joyful news filled every heart with exultation, and all eyes were intently directed to the quarter in which land was expected to appear. Evening fell, however, without their being able to discover any trace of it; but by day-break on the following morning, a cultivated coast, finely diversified with hill and dale, appeared, stretching in a wide extent before them.—This was Timor!
It is almost impossible to describe the wild tumult of joy, the intense and inexpressible delight, which filled their hearts at the sight of land! Their thoughts rapidly reverted to the varied events of their fearful passage, till it appeared scarcely credible, even to themselves, that in an open boat, so poorly provided, and under circumstances every way so calamitous, they should have been able to reach the coast of Timor in forty-one days after leaving Tofoa, having in that time run, by their log, a distance of three thousand six hundred and eighteen nautical miles: and this, notwithstanding their extreme distress, without the loss of a single individual.
The governor of the island received them with the greatest hospitality. After remaining a short time at Timor, they proceeded to Batavia. Here Captain Bligh was seized with a fever; and as his life was in danger from the heat of the climate, he was obliged to leave the island without loss of time. He accordingly sailed in a packet, and arrived in England in March, 1790. The crew were accommodated with passages home as opportunity offered, but though apparently all in good health when Captain Bligh left, they did not all live to quit Batavia. The hardships which they had undergone had so undermined the constitutions of several, as rendered them unable to support the rigor of such an unhealthy climate; but of the nineteen who were forced into the launch by the mutineers, it pleased God that twelve should surmount the difficulties and dangers of this unparalleled voyage, and live to visit their native land.
But, Uncle Thomas, what became of the mutineers?
Another vessel, boys, was fitted out by the British Government to proceed in search of them. Several of them were taken and brought to England, where, after being tried, three of them were executed. Some of the others who had been forced to join the mutiny were pardoned. From the statements of these men, it appeared that quarrels soon sprang up among them after Captain Bligh's departure, and several of them suffered violent deaths—among the rest, Christian, who you will recollect was the most active among them, was murdered by one of the natives. The death of Christian was the signal for a general rising among the natives, who, by this time, had become tired of the English; some of them were killed, and others, among whom was a man named John Adams, escaped, wounded, to the woods. They were joined by several females, to whom they had formed attachments, with whom they escaped and established themselves on what has since been called Pitcairn's Island. For twenty years nothing was heard of them, till two British vessels, happening to touch at the island, the crews were astonished to find it inhabited, and more so when they were accosted in their native tongue by the inhabitants.
Matters were soon explained. They found Adams, a fine-looking old man, of nearly sixty years of age. He was revered as the father of the colony, and ruled with a paternal sway over his little kingdom. He died in 1829.
But I must stop. I fear I have already detained you too long to-night, boys,—So good night!
Good night, Uncle Thomas.