288 THE SEA. 



during his visit. " Will you not, Tinah," said Bligh, " send something to King George 

 in return ? " " Yes," he replied, " I will send him anything I have/' and then enumerated 

 the different articles in his power, among which he mentioned the bread-fruit. This was 

 exactly what Bligh wished, and he was told that the bread-fruit trees were what King 

 George would greatly like, and the chief promised that a large number should be placed 

 on board. 



The importance of the bread-fruit to these people cannot be over-stated. That old 

 navigator, Dampier, had well described it a hundred years before. "The bread-fruit, 

 as we call it, grows on a large tree, as big and high as our largest apple-trees; it hath a 

 spreading head, full of branches and dark leaves. The fruit grows on the boughs like 

 apples; it is as big as a penny loaf when wheat is at five shillings the bushel; it is of 

 a round shape, and hath a thick, tough rind; when the fruit is ripe, it is yellow and 

 soft, and the taste is sweet and pleasant. The natives of Guam use it for bread. They 

 gather it, when full grown, while it is green and hard; then they bake it in an oven, 

 which scorcheth the rind and makes it black, but they scrape off the outside black crust, 

 and there remains a tender, thin crust ; and the inside is soft, tender, and white." The 

 fruit lasts in season eight months. During Lord Anson's two months' stay at Tinian, 

 no ship's bread was consumed, the officers and men all preferring the bread-fruit. Byron 

 speaks of these South Sea Islands, where labour is the merest play work, the earth affording 

 nearly spontaneously all that the natives need, as 



" The happy shores without a law, 

 ***'** 



Where all partake the earth without dispute, 



And bread itself is gathered as a fruit; 



Where none contest the fields, the woods, the streams, 



The gold-less age, where gold disturbs no dreams." 



The Otaheitans of those days were a most harmless, amiable, and unsophisticated people. 

 One day the gudgeon of the cutter's rudder was missing, and was believed to have been 

 stolen. " I thought," says Bligh, " it would have a good effect to punish the boat-keeper 

 in their presence, and accordingly I ordered him a dozen lashes. All who attended the 

 punishment interceded very earnestly to get it mitigated ; the women showed great 

 sympathy." The intercourse between the crew and natives was very pleasant. The 

 Otaheitans showed the most perfect ease -of manner, with "a candour and sincerity about 

 them that is quite refreshing." When they offered refreshments, for instance, if they 

 were not accepted, they did not press them ; they had not the least idea of that ceremonious 

 kind of refusal which expects a second invitation. " Having one day," says Bligh, 

 " exposed myself too much in the sun, I was taken ill, on which all the powerful people, 

 both men and women, collected round me, offering their assistance." On an occasion 

 when the Bounty had nearly gone ashore in a tremendous gale of wind, and on another 

 when she did go aground, after all was right again, these kind-hearted people came in 

 crowds to congratulate the captain on her escape; many of them shed tears while the 

 danger seemed imminent. In the evenings, the whole beach was like a parade, crowded 



