26 THE MUTINY. 
friendly; the tears of the liberated chiefs were 
changed into smiles of joy; and on the 27th of 
April, the voyagers were 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 island ; and he was probably right. 
It was alleged on the other hand, that the idea 
of revisiting Otaheite did not form part of the 
plan, but that, during the voyage, there had been 
frequent misunderstandings between the com- 
mander 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 
or the other had been the cause of the outrage. 
On this part of the subject it is unnecessary to 
dwell at any length; though it must not be 
wholly passed over. To assume, without proof, 
