In 1787 at age 33, Captain Bligh was given command of The Bounty, a three-year-old merchant ship. The Bounty set sail on December 23, 1787. In April, 1789 the famous mutiny took place, led by Blighs one-time friend, Fletcher Christian. The following is an extract taken from Blighs logbook entry for April 28 (original spelling): Just before Sunrise Mr Christian and the Master at Arms... came into my cabin while I was fast asleep, and seizing me tyed my hands with a Cord & threatened instant death if I made the least noise... Bligh and 18 other crew members loyal to him were set adrift on April 28 in an open boat. In most cases such an act would have led to certain death for the men aboard, but Bligh was a magnificent seaman and landed in Timor, Java, without any loss of life on June 14. The journey of 3618 nautical miles took them 47 days. Captain Bligh miraculously lived after the mutiny and returned to England to report the crime. Many of the guilty sailors were found and hanged. Several, however, could not be found. Twenty years passed and the whole incident was forgotten until a sailing ship discovered an uncharted island(Pitcairn). When the crew landed, they could hardly believe what they had found -- an utter utopia. There was no disease, no crime, no drunkenness, nothing but grace and harmony. When the crew learned the reason for the change in the islanders, they were amazed. Eight of the Bountys sailors had fled to this island after the mutiny. They had ravaged the people and all but one of the sailors, Alexander Smith, had died. In desperation Smith had rummaged through all of the other mens belongings, looking for more whiskey. In his search, he found a Bible. He read it, believed it, and became a Christian. He introduced the entire population of the island to Christ and they, with him, believed and obeyed the Word of God, transforming their society. ~Bill Bright
Posted on: Wed, 07 May 2014 11:43:11 +0000
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