VOYAGE OF THE "PANDORA" 105 



Acting Prime Minister of Tonga, reprinted and edited the 

 narratives of the Commander and Surgeon. 



The " Pandora " left Portsmouth in August, 1790, and reached 

 TAHITI on 23rd March, 1791. Here sixteen of the MUTINEERS 

 had settled down, but two had already been killed by the natives. 

 The fourteen remaining were arrested and confined on board 

 the " Pandora" The frigate left Tahiti on 8th May, and after 

 having made some search (without having any clue) for the 

 "Bounty" continued her voyage, via Palmerston Island, Atafu, 

 Samoa, the Friendly Islands and Tongatabu, Wallis Island, the 

 Santa Cruz Islands and Indispensable Reefs, to the Great Barrier 

 Reef. (SEE MAP A.) The latter was met with on ^6th August? 

 in about 10 S. lat. Steering westward, the MURRAY ISLANDS 

 were seen and named. The islands were found to be fringed 

 by a reef, which forced the ship to take a southerly course, inter- 

 rupted by many attempts to find a westerly passage. The last 

 of these attempts was made on 2tyh August^ late in the afternoon, 

 when the ship grounded on the reef in about 11 24' S. lat. The 

 spot is now charted as PANDORA ENTRANCE. The " Pandora " 

 was hammered on the reef during the whole of the night, but at 

 daylight next morning ($oth August) slipped over into deep water 

 and SANK. Thirty-one of the ship's company and four of the 

 mutineers were drowned. Ninety-nine men answered the roll- 

 call and found temporary refuge on a sandbank about four miles 

 from the wreck. Very little could be saved and the party were 

 almost destitute of provisions. It may be assumed, however, 

 that the Captain saved his sextant and charts and that each of 

 the boats carried a compass. A reference by Hamilton to the 

 boat's position " at meridian " makes it probable that Lieutenant 

 Larkin, on the " red yawl," had a sextant. 



From this point it is necessary to compare the reports of the 

 Commander and Surgeon, remembering always that the two 

 witnesses were in different boats, which parted company for a 

 time. 



CAPTAIN EDWARDS 



" On the ist September, 1791, the BOATS were completed and were launched, and 

 we put everything we had saved on board of them, and at half-past ten on the 

 forenoon we embarked. ... We steered NW. by W. and WNW., within the reef. 

 This channel through the reef is better than any hitherto known, besides the advantage 

 it has of being situated further to the north, by which many difficulties would be 

 avoided when within the reef. In the run from thence to the entrance of Endeavour 

 Straits, there is a small white island or key on the larboard end of the channel, which 

 lies in latitude li 23' S. The sides are strong and irregular. 



" On the 2nd September, in the morning, saw land, which probably was the coast 

 of NEW SOUTH WALES. The yawls were sent on shore to ground [sound ?] and look 



1 I correct the dates from this point onward. Captain Edwards had lost a day in 

 sailing round the world, but he did not make the correction till he reached Timor. 

 R. L. J. 



