Onward Christian

n

n                     Fletcher Christian was born inn1764, near Cockermouth, Cumberland. His father died when Fletcher was anninfant, and his mother, Ann, increased the family debts substantially, movingneventually to the Isle of Man. The teenaged Fletcher spent holidays there,n(where, incidentally, William Bligh had lived after his marriage in 1781). Henfirst went to sea in 1783, and had later served in the merchant fleet undernBligh, on two voyages to the West Indies. Bligh seems to have been impressed bynthe young Christian, who became something of his protégé, and recommended himnas a midshipman on the Bounty. 

n

n

nChristian, like his crewmates, tooknenthusiastically to life on Tahiti. The food was good and abundant, the climatenbalmy, the women uninhibited, and the men friendly – many became taios, ornprotective friends, to the sailors, taking them into their homes and families.nSeveral of the men, including Christian, followed the Tahitian custom ofntattooing their bodies. Life, it seems, was good on the island Paradise. 

n

n

nHowever,neven life in Eden has its problems. The Tahitians were inclined to petty theft,nand Bligh warned his men to be aware of this at all time, and that the cost ofnany losses would be deducted from their pay. But things went missing. Bligh hadnable seaman Alexander Smith flogged when the gudgeon (a metal brace for thenrudder) of the launch was ‘drawn out’ on his watch. The Tahitians were appallednby this treatment. Soon after, seaman Matthew Thompson was given twelve lashesnfor ‘insolence and disobedience’; the cook’s assistant, William Musprattnreceived the same for ‘neglect of duty’ and the butcher, Robert Lamb, was alsongiven a dozen when his cleaver was stolen. The drunken doctor, Huggan, eventually died,n(‘Exercise was a thing he could not bear an Idea of’, was Bligh’s verdict). 

n

n

nThen, the monsoon arrived. 

n

nThe plants in the nursery were in danger from thensalt-water spray of the storms, and Bligh feared the Bounty herself was at risknin the gales. In a break between storms, he arranged to move both to safernberths, but during the move, on Christmas Day 1788, Fryer, the Master, managednto ground the ship for a short while. During one of the dark January nights, threencrewmen went absent, taking with them the small launch, some guns, andnammunition. Whilst onshore, Bligh heard that a native who had aided thendeserters was aboard Bounty; he rushed back, only to find Fryer had allowed thenman to escape, and no attempt had been made to follow him. Soon after, Blighndiscovered the spare sails were wet and rotted, in spite of earlier orders tonFryer to wash and air them. In his log he wrote, “If I had any Officers tonsupercede the Master and Boatswain, or was capable of doing without themnconsidering them as common seamen, they should no longer occupy theirnrespective Stations” (Jan 17, 1789). 

n

nAfter three weeks, news of the deserters’nposition reached Bligh; he set out immediately, captured them, and returnednthem to the ship. After reading the Articles of War, Charles Churchill wasnlashed twelve times, and John Millward and William Muspratt (already lashednearlier, see above) both had two dozen, the whole to be repeated again at anlater date. The three were held clapped in irons. 

n

n

nIn spite of all this, Blighnwas being lenient, by the standards of the day; deserters could expect 100-150nlashes, and the officer of the watch, who had been asleep when they deserted,ncould have faced execution, whereas Bligh merely disrated him. On February 4^th,nthe Bounty’s bower anchor cable was cut, (by the taio of Midshipman Hayward,nwho feared his friend would be lashed); she could have drifted onto the reefnand been wrecked. A Tahitian stole an azimuth compass, which, with ChiefnTynah’s help, was eventually recovered – the thief was given a hundred lashes, clapped innirons, but in the night he picked the lock and escaped over the side of thenship. 

n

nEventually, the breadfruits were ready to move and the weather had turnednfair. The plants were loaded, the Bounty provisioned and, on April 5^thn1789, she left Tahiti, bound for the West Indies.

n