BLIGH'S RETURN TO ENGLAND. 57 
originally appointed to the Bounty, on the re- 
commendation of Sir Joseph Banks, to have the 
management of the bread-fruit plants; and he 
had been similarly engaged in Captain Cook's 
last voyage. i 
On the 20th of August, Bligh, and his crew 
of sixteen, sailed from Coupang for Batavia, in a 
schooner which he had bought, and which he 
had appropriately named, the Resource. They 
took in tow the launch in which their lives had 
been so providentially preserved, Both the 
Resource and the launch were afterwards sold 
by Dutch auction* at Batavia. 
After some detention at Batavia, in conse- 
quence of illness, Bligh was able to embark for 
his passage homeward, on the 16th of October, 
1789 ; and on the 14th of March, 1790, he was 
landed by an Isle of Wight boat at Portsmouth. 
Of the nineteen who had been forced into 
the launch, twelve returned to their native coun- 
try, Bligh had brought all but Norton safe to 
Coupang: Elphinston, Linkletter, Hall, and 
Lamb, died soon afterwards, Ledward remained 
at Batavia. 
That, under the very distressing trials, to 
which they had been exposed, all with the ex- 
ception of the poor man who was murdered, 
should have been brought safe to Coupang, is a 
fact which may well excite our astonishment. 
On this head some remarks remain to be added. 
" With respect," said Bligh, " to the preserva- 
* " The custom at Batavia is to begin high, and to lower 
the price till some person bids, and the first bidder is the 
buyer." — BligJis Voyage, p. 256. 
