22 THE MUTINY. 
during the voyage, there had been frequent 
misunderstandings between the commander 
and Fletcher Christian ; and that offence had 
been given by the former to Christian, and 
to some of the men, on the day before the 
mutiny. Much stress has been laid on each 
of these circumstances, as if one *or the 
other had been the cause of the outrage. 
On this part of the subject it is unneces- 
sary to dwell ; though it must not be wholly 
passed over. To assume, without proof, that 
the act of the mutineers was owing to tyranny 
on the part of Bligh, is surely not to make 
their case better ; because, in this point of 
view, the deed must be looked upon as one, 
not only of sinful revenge against him, but 
of cruelty to their unoffending messmates. 
For what prospect was there to men exposed 
in such a manner to the horrors of the deep, 
but death, either by drowning or starvation ? 
It was natural for those who had been ac- 
complices in the mutiny to excuse themselves 
as far as possible ; but every thoughtful 
reader will weigh and examine the value of 
statements coming from such quarters. 
Bligh was a thoroughbred sailor of a 
