HISTORIC MUTINEERS. 93 



The mutiny was led by the mate Christian, an 

 Englishman of good family, and it seems that the 

 idea of the men was to return to the island, where 

 they could live almost without work. No blood 

 was shed, but the captain and a portion of the 

 crew were turned adrift in an open boat, from 

 which they were rescued after a long and perilous 

 voyage, and returned to England. 



It was decided by government that the muti- 

 neers must, if possible, be apprehended and fitly 

 punished. The brig Pandora, of twenty-four 

 guns and a hundred and sixty men, under 

 command of Captain Edwards, was dispatched to 

 Otaheite to secure such of the offenders as might 

 be lingering there, and if not all found, to visit 

 the different groups of the Society and Friendly 

 Islands, and places in their vicinity, for the 

 mutineers, who were all to be brought to England 

 in chains. 



On March 23, 1791, the Pandora anchored in 

 Matavi Bay, Otaheite. Fourteen of the muti- 

 neers were found, seized, and put in irons on 

 board the vessel. 



They knew nothing of the fate of the Bounty. 

 She had been to the Island and sailed away the 

 previous September, with seven native men and 

 twelve women, leaving these men behind. It 



