18 ARRIVAL AT OTAHEITE. 
who was an indolent and intemperate man. 
Valentine had been one of the most robust people 
on board, but, for some slight indisposition, was 
bled in the arm. Some time afterwards, the arm 
became painful and inflamed. The inflammation 
increased ; a hollow cough and extreme diffi- 
culty of breathing came on, and the poor fellow's 
death soon put a period to his sufferings. 
The simple and unaffected manner in which 
Bligh relates the events of his voyage, and the 
difficulties through which he passed, is one of 
the chief charms of his narrative. The original 
instructions from the Admiralty, dated Novem- 
ber the 20th, 1787, were, that he should proceed 
round Cape Horn. They were very minute, 
and were signified to the Commissioners by 
Lord Sydney, one of his Majesty's principal 
Secretaries of State.* Owing, however, to the 
advanced season of the year, and the delay 
caused by contrary winds, he had applied for, 
and obtained, discretional orders to go round the 
Cape of Good Hope to Otaheite. Having tried 
in vain, in a tempestuous ocean, to go by Cape 
Horn, he took his course towards the island of 
Tristan d'Acunha, and at last made a passage 
round the Cape of Good Hope. Having visited 
Cape Town, and afterwards Van Diemen's Land, 
and passed near New Zealand, the ship at 
length arrived at Otaheite, anchoring in Mata- 
vai Bay at 10 in the forenoon of the 26th of 
October, 1788. 
* The city of Sydney, N. S. Wales, was named from this 
nobleman, the first Viscount Sydney, Thomas Townshend, 
Esq. He died a.d. 1800. 
