548 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1959 
breakers were not a quarter of a mile from us when we wore ship” 
(Mortimer, 1791, p. 22). 
It is intriguing to consider the infinite possibilities had Captain Cox 
heard of the presence of another ship at Tubuai and stopped for a 
sociable call, as he would assuredly have done, being in no hurry; still 
more of what would have occurred had the weather been calm and the 
Mercury wrecked on the island. 
However, the brig passed on her way oblivious of the drama she 
was leaving behind, and during their stay in Tahiti the crew were 
much mystified by all the talk of Titreano (Christian) and Tootate 
(Aitutaki). The Tahitians told Mortimer that Titreano was Cap- 
tain Bligh’s Chief Officer who had returned in the Bounty without 
Bligh, having left him at Tootate: 
This story was corroborated by Otoo and several chiefs ; who further informed 
us that Captain Titreano had sailed but fifteen days before our arrival, and 
had carried several Otaheitan families with him to Tootate. Where Tootate 
could be, and who they meant by Titreano, we could not then conjecture (Mor- 
timer, 1791, p. 33) .*° 
When one considers this near miss at discovery just six weeks after 
the arrival of the mutineers at Tubuai, one wonders how long it really 
would have taken before Christian’s fancied security was at an end. 
Abduction by night—To return to the Bounty, sailing out of 
Matavai Bay in the early morning of September 23. There were then 
35 on board. Nine of these were Europeans: 
KletchersChristian== = eee Acting lieutenant. 
Hdwarditvoung i222 ss5 22 See eer ee Midshipman. 
Johns Miliss= 3s Se eee ee Gunner’s mate. 
sage Martin 2-32 ee Se Able seaman. 
WALT amie CKO yaa === et ae eee Do. 
Matthews@ ante Saas eee Do. 
AVexand Gree Simi thes es eee ey ee eek Do. 
TOMA Wallisimne ee Se eee ee ee ee Do. 
William Brown t= aes 2 ees Botanist’s assistant. 
With them were 6 Polynesian men, 19 women, and a little girl. 
It is clear from Jenny’s record (which is confirmed by Adams’s 
statement to Captain Beechey) that, with the exception of Taroamiva 
and his companions “who were now become very fond of Mr. Christian 
and would not leave him,” and probably of Christian’s wife and Jenny 
16QOn Mortimer’s return to England the significance of what he had heard was immedi- 
ately realized and the authorities informed, thus providing Captain Edwards with the 
most plausible of the false clues that were to mislead him in his search for the mutineers 
a year later. (Letter from Sir Charles Blagden to Lord Palmerston, 29.6.1790, Mitchell 
Library phot Ab 216/1.) 
17 The names are as inscribed in the Bounty’s Muster Book and Pay Book (see Smith, 
1936, p. 212.) Alexander Smith later reverted to his real name of John Adams, while 
Mickoy came to be known as McCoy. 
