FROM THE MUTINY TO PITCAIRN ISLAND—-MAUDE 547 
ship with Christian, who accordingly agreed to take them to Tahiti 
(Morrison, 1935, pp. 63-64). 
On the 20th they were under the lee of Mehetia, where the trade 
goods, arms and ammunition, wine and slops, and other articles were 
divided into shares. ‘Two days later they reached Matavai Bay and, 
with the help of the natives, the belongings of the shore party were 
all landed by nightfall. Among them were the “Household Gods” 
of the chief Tinarou?® which later created a sensation when pre- 
sented to the young Prince Tu (afterward King Pomare I) on behalf 
of the ship’s company (Morrison, 1935, pp. 74-78). 
Hitihiti, who made the presentation, and the other Tahitian men 
went ashore, delighted to be back, and with them went one of 
Taroamiva’s companions from Tubuai. But during the course of the 
day three other Tahitian men (one was actually a Raiatean) and a 
boy came on board, with a number of women. 
Christian also went ashore and spent some hours discussing with 
Heywood and Stewart the events connected with the mutiny, for 
which he declared himself entirely responsible. He stated that a 
warship would certainly be sent to look for them, whether or not 
Bligh succeeded in reaching civilization, and strongly advised them 
to give themselves up on its arrival, since neither of them had taken 
any part in the affair. After requesting Heywood to communicate 
certain matters to his family, which he felt might at least serve to 
extenuate his crime, he rowed to the Bounty and set her course out 
of the bay (Belcher, 1870, pp. 50-51). 
The brig “Mercury.”—On their arrival in Tahiti the mutineers had 
been told that there was now another European in the island named 
Brown, who had been left by Capt. J. H. Cox of the brig Mercury. 
As Brown was not seen until after Christian’s departure, the latter 
never learnt how near he had been to discovery when all hands were 
busily engaged in the building of Fort George. Yet from Mortimer’s 
narrative of the voyage it is clear that Cox sighted Tubuai on his 
way to Tahiti and that it was only the advent of darkness that pre- 
vented him from communicating with the islanders and, in all prob- 
ability, from seeing the Bounty at her anchorage inside the reef: 
August 9, 1789. In the afternoon, we saw the Island of Toobouai, bearing 
North East by East half East, distant about eleven leagues; and at eight at 
night passed within two miles of it. We perceived several lights on shore, and 
fired two guns to draw the attention of the inhabitants; but night prevented 
us from seeing them. 
Owing to the dark, the A/ercury got too close to the reef and, had it 
been calm, she would have been driven onto it by the swell “as the 
145 Described as two carved images ornamented with pearl shell and human teeth, hair, 
and nails, and set in a nest of the red tail feathers of the tropicbird. 
