THE MUTINY OF THE BOUNTY. 525 



world with Cook, was appointed to command her. Her cabin 

 was fitted with a false floor cut full of holes sufficient to receive 

 one thousand or more garden-pots. She was victualled for 

 fifteen months, and laden with trinkets for the South Sea 

 Islanders. Her destination was Tahiti by way of Cape Horn 0 

 She sailed late in December, 178T. 



After a three months' tempestuous passage, she made the 

 eastern coast of Terra del Fuego. She contended thirty days 

 here with violent westerly gales, seeking either to thread the 

 strait or double the cape. Finding either course impossible,. 

 Bligh ordered the helm to be put a- weather, having resolved 

 to cross the South Atlantic and approach Tahiti from the 

 westward, — a determination which was successfully executed. 



Bligh gave directions to all on board not to inform the natives 

 of the object of their visit, lest, by the natural law of supply 

 and demand, the price-current of bread-fruit trees should sud- 

 denly rise. He contrived to make the chiefs believe that he was. 

 doing them a favor in conveying specimens of their plants to the 

 great King of England. A tent was erected on shore to receive 

 the trees, some thirty of which were potted every day. On the 

 4th of April, 1789, the vessel set sail, with one thousand and 

 fifteen roots in pots, tubs, and boxes. 



It was now that an event took place which rendered the cruise 

 of the Bounty one of the most extraordinary in the annals of the 

 sea. A mutiny, which had been planned in secrecy, broke out 

 on the 27th. The whole crew were engaged in it, with the ex- 

 ception of eighteen men. Bligh, with these eighteen, — most of 

 them officers, — was hurried into the launch, which was cut loose, 

 with one hundred and fifty pounds of bread, twenty-eight gallons 

 of water, a little rum and wine, with a quadrant and compass. 

 A few pieces of pork, some cocoanuts, and four cutlasses, were 

 thrown at them as they were cast adrift. Some of the mutineers 

 laughed at the helpless condition of the launch ; while others 

 expressed their GC~/ifid?xice in Bligh's resources by exclaiming, 



