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hospitality and kindness, a better feeling seems to have prevailed for a 

 while between Bligh and his officers and men. Amidst mutual regrets 

 and many tender and sorrowful leave takings between the gallant tars (in 

 a double sense) and their favourite Otaheitan beauties, the " Bounty" set 

 sail for the West Indies on the 4th of April, 1789 ; but no sooner were 

 the pleasures and excitements of the sojourn at Otaheite left behind than 

 the old animosities broke out again on shipboard, and the conduct of 

 Captain Bligh towards Christian seems to have become more insulting 

 and brutal than ever. On one occasion whilst touching at the Friendly 

 Islands, and without any apparent cause, Bligh, in a fit of passion, cursed 

 Christian as a "cowardly rascal." This was language not likely to be 

 forgiven by a young man of high spirit and ancient lineage. A few days 

 subsequently the officers, and Christian in particular, had to endure a still 

 worse outrage from their commander. As it proved to be " the last 

 straw which broke the camel's back," I will give the incident in 

 Morrison's own words (though it is needful to soften some of the 

 adjectives) : — "April 27, 1789. This afternoon Mr Bligh came up, and 

 taking a turn on the quarter deck he missed some of the cocoa nuts 

 which had been piled up between the guns, and said they had been 

 stolen. The officers were all called, and declared they had not seen a 

 man touch them, to which Mr. Bligh replied, 'Then you must have 

 taken them yourselves,' and questioned every officer in turn concerning 

 the number he had bought. Mr. Christian's answer was, ' I do not 

 know, sir, but I hope you don't think me so mean as to be guilty of 

 stealing yours.' Bligh replied, 'Yes, you infernal hound, I do,' and 

 then addressing the whole of the officers he added (with an oath which I 

 cannot quote), ' You scoundrels, you are all thieves alike, and combine 

 with the men to rob me. But I'll sweat you for it, you rascals, and make 

 half of you jump overboard before we get through Endeavour Straits.' 

 He then called Mr. Samuel and said, ' Stop these villains' grog, and give 

 them only half a pound of yams to-morrow, and if they steal them, I'll 

 reduce them to a quarter.' The cocoa nuts were carried off, and Mr- 

 Bligh went below. The officers then got together, and were heard to 

 murmur much at such treatment, and it was talked among the men that 



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