124 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



boat, and each sucli prize was cut into 18 pieces and devoured. Many 

 sea-snakes were seen but it did not occur to Bligh to use them for food. 



One dark and stormy night they heard the roar of breakers close 

 aboard and narrowly escaped being dashed to death upon the Great 

 Barrier Eeef of Australia. On the following day, however, they suc- 

 ceeded in sailing through a narrow opening in the reef, elated to find 

 themselves upon smooth waters under the protection of the coral flats. 

 Here they ventured to land upon several small deserted islands where 

 they feasted upon shellfish, replenished their store of water, and above 

 all, enjoyed the luxury of sleep. 



Then on they went through Endeavour Strait growing daily weaker 

 upon their reduced ration. Finally, on June 14, 1789, the people of 

 the Dutch village of Coupang on Timor were horrified at the appear- 

 ance of 18 ragged wretches reduced almost to skeletons who staggered 

 and fell upon the shore while tears of joy streamed down their weather- 

 beaten cheeks. 



For 47 days Bligh had sailed across 3,618 miles of almost uncharted 

 ocean, passing dreaded islands of the Fijis and the New Hebrides, sur- 

 mounting not only the perils of the sea but even greater dangers from 

 murderous cannibals, and his courage as a leader, and skill as a navi- 

 gator must inspire respect as long as the annals of Britain's navy ara 

 cherished as a record of heroism. 



But to return to Christian and the Bounty whom we left on that 

 fateful morning of the 28th of April, 1789. 



Christian knew full well the skill and resource of Bligh and foresaw 

 that should the cast-ofi: commander reach England, Tahiti would be but 

 a death-trap to the Bounty's pirate crew. He therefore set his course 

 for the small island of Tubuai, one of the Austral group, about 250 

 miles south of Tahiti. This lonely spot had been discovered by Captain 

 Cook in 1777, who observed that the natives spoke the Tahitian dialect 

 and appeared to be industrious cultivators of the soil. 



Upon the Bounty's arrival, they crowded in great numbers to the 

 shore blowing their triton war horns and brandishing clubs. Christian 

 therefore changed his course for Tahiti, where his old friends warmly 

 welcomed the Bounty and her crew. Here, however, he remained only 

 long enough to supply his ship with provisions and live-stock, and to- 

 gether with a number of his Tahitian friends he sailed again to Tubuai, 

 this time to be hospitably received. 



A criminal in the eyes of civilization. Christian maintained until his 

 death the respect of his lawless crew. They addressed him always as 

 " Mr. Christian " and the generous spirit he displayed in sharing every 

 hardship, no less than his real ability as an executive, showed that had 

 he remained faithful to his country he might have died an admiral of 

 the blue. As it was, he took his part in the immense labor of construct- 



