28 THE MUTINY. 
chiefs were changed into smiles of joy ; and on 
the 27th of April, the voyagers were sailing on 
a smooth sea, between the islands of Tofoa and 
Kotoo. 
On the arrival of the Bounty off Tofoa, one of 
the Friendly Islands, on the 28th of April, 1789, 
a dreadful mutiny broke out among some of the 
ship's officers and men, with Fletcher Christian, 
the master's mate, at their head. He was of a 
respectable family in the north of England, a 
young man of talent in his profession, twenty- 
four years of age, and of a quick and daring 
spirit. 
It is difficult, at this distance of time, to judge 
of the real motives which actuated these men in 
their evil design. Indeed, at the period of the 
mutiny, the object which the leaders had in view 
could only be conjectured. Bligh gave it as his 
opinion, that they had flattered themselves with 
the hope of returning to Otaheite, and again 
leading the agreeable kind of life which they had 
passed in that lovely and fascinating island; and 
he was most probably right. 
It has been alleged, on the other hand, that the 
idea of revisiting Otaheite had not formed part of 
the plan, but that, 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, by different 
persons, on each of these circumstances, as if one 
ar the other had been the cause of the outrage. 
On this part of the subject it is unnecessary 
