92 HISTORIC MUTINEERS. 



The Captain who has touched at Otaheite in 

 the Swift describes it as one of the dream gardens 

 of the world. He says it is cradled in the arms 

 of the tender-breathed Pacific, with an atmos- 

 phere like etherealized, gentle-vintaged wine, 

 endowed with beauty everywhere present, every- 

 where voluptuous, marvellously prolific in dif- 

 ferent fruits, wonderfully productive of deep- 

 tinted foliage and brilliantly colored flowers, 

 seemingly a favorite which nature has blessed 

 with her most lavish bounty, decked with her 

 most glowing adornment. 



The natives are a fine looking people, the 

 women being especially attractive, so it is not 

 strange that the sailors of the Bounty thought 

 it a paradise when they landed there years ago. 

 The harsh treatment of Captain Bligh still 

 continued, and it seemed as if it was almost more 

 than the men could bear. Captain Bligh gave 

 the chief many presents, and in return the vessel 

 was loaded with breadfruit trees. For over five 

 months the Bounty lay in this friendly port, but 

 the captain began to suspect his men of treachery 

 and so he sailed away towards the West Indies. 



Twenty-four days after, the mutiny broke out. 

 Captain Bligh on his return to England gave a 

 graphic account of the affair, which, however, is 

 considered somewhat unjust. 



