Книга: William Bligh «The Mutiny On Board H. m. s. Bounty»

The voyage of the "Bounty"

In 1787, Bligh took command of the "Bounty." In order to win a premium offered by the RSA he first sailed to Tahiti to obtain breadfruit trees, then set course for the Caribbean, where breadfruit was wanted for experiments to see whether it would be a successful food crop for slaves there. The "Bounty" never reached the Caribbean, as mutiny broke out on board shortly after leaving Tahiti.

The voyage to Tahiti was difficult. After trying unsuccessfully for a month to round Cape Horn, the "Bounty" was finally defeated by the notoriously stormy weather and forced to take the long way around the Cape of Good Hope. That delay resulted in a further delay in Tahiti, as they had to wait five months for the breadfruit plants to mature enough to be transported. The "Bounty" departed Tahiti in April 1789.

Since it was rated only as a cutter, the"Bounty" had no officers other than Bligh himself (who was then only a lieutenant), a very small crew, and no Marines to provide protection from hostile inhabitants during stops or to enforce security on board ship. To allow longer uninterrupted sleep, Bligh divided his crew into three watches instead of two, and placed his protégé Fletcher Christian — rated as a Master's Mate — in charge of one of the watches. The mutiny, which broke out during the return voyage on 28 April 1789, was led by Christian and supported by a third of the crew, who had seized firearms during Christian's night watch and then surprised and bound Bligh in his cabin.

Despite being in the majority, none of the loyalists seemed to have put up any significant struggle once they saw Bligh bound, and the ship was taken without bloodshed. The mutineers provided Bligh and the eighteen of his crew who remained loyal with a 23 foot (7 m) launch (so heavily loaded that the sides were only a few inches above the water), with four cutlasses and food and water for a few days to reach the most accessible ports, a sextant and a pocket watch, but no charts or compass. The launch could not hold all the loyal crew members, and four were detained on the "Bounty" by the mutineers for their useful skills; these were later released at Tahiti.

Tahiti was upwind from Bligh's initial position, and was the obvious destination of the mutineers. Many of the loyalists claimed to have heard the mutineers cry "Huzzah for Otaheite!" as the Bounty pulled away. Timor was the nearest European outpost. Bligh and his crew did make for Tofua first, to obtain supplies. There they were attacked by hostile natives and a crewman was killed. After fleeing Tofua, Bligh didn't dare stop at the next islands (the Fiji islands), as he had no weapons for defense and expected further hostile receptions.

Bligh had confidence in his navigational skills, which he had perfected under the instruction of Captain Cook. His first responsibility was to survive and get word of the mutiny as soon as possible to British vessels that could pursue the mutineers. Thus, he undertook the seemingly-impossible 3618 nautical mile (6701 km) voyage to Timor. In this remarkable act of seamanship, Bligh succeeded in reaching Timor after a 47-day voyage, with the only casualty being the crewman killed on Tofua. Ironically, several of the men who survived this ordeal with him soon died of sickness, possibly malaria, in the pestilential Dutch East Indies port of Batavia, as they waited for transport to Britain.

To this day, the reasons for the mutiny are a subject of considerable debate. Some believe that Bligh was a cruel tyrant whose abuse of the crew led members of the crew to feel that they had no choice but to take the ship from Bligh. Others believe that the crew, inexperienced and unused to the rigours of the sea and, after having been exposed to freedom and sexual excess on the island of Tahiti, refused to return to the "Jack Tars" existence of a seaman. They were "led" by a weak Fletcher Christian and were only too happy to be free from Bligh's acid tongue. They believe that the crew took the ship from Bligh so that they could return to a life of comfort and pleasure on Tahiti. Bligh returned to London arriving in March 1790.

The "Bounty"'s log shows that Bligh resorted to punishments relatively sparingly. He scolded when other captains would have whipped and whipped when other captains would have hanged. He was an educated man, deeply interested in science, convinced that good diet and sanitation were necessary for the welfare of his crew. He took a great interest in his crew's exercise, was very careful about the quality of their food, and insisted upon the "Bounty" being kept very clean. He tried (unsuccessfully) to check the spread of venereal disease among them. Fact|date=September 2007 The flaw in this otherwise enlightened naval officer was, as J.C. Beaglehole wrote: " [Bligh made] dogmatic judgements which he felt himself entitled to make; he saw fools about him too easily... thin-skinned vanity was his curse through life... [Bligh] never learnt that you do not make friends of men by insulting them."

Popular fiction often confuses Bligh with Edward Edwards of HMS "Pandora", who was sent on the Royal Navy's expedition to the South Pacific to find the mutineers and bring them to trial. Edwards was allegedly every bit the [http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/features/pandora/information/faq.asp#3 cruel man] that Bligh was accused of being; the 14 men that he captured were confined in a cramped 18' x 11' x 5' 8" wooden cell on the "Pandora's" quarterdeck. When the "Pandora" ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, 4 of the prisoners and 31 of the crew were killed. The prisoners would have all perished, had not William Moulter, a bosun's mate, unlocked their cage before jumping off the sinking vessel.

In October 1790, Bligh was honourably acquitted at the court-martial inquiring the loss of the "Bounty". Shortly thereafter, "A Narrative of the Mutiny on board His Majesty's Ship "Bounty" was published. Of the 10 surviving prisoners, eventually brought home in spite of the "Pandora"'s loss, four were acquitted, due to Bligh's testimony that they were non-mutineers that Bligh was obliged to leave on the "Bounty" due to lack of space in the launch. Two others were convicted because, while not participating in the mutiny, they were passive and did not resist. They subsequently received royal pardons. One was convicted but excused on a technicality. The remaining three were convicted and hanged.

Bligh's Letter to his Wife

The following is a letter to Bligh's wife, written from Coupang, Dutch East Indies, (circa June 1791) in which the first reference to events on the "Bounty" is mentioned.

My Dear, Dear Betsy,

I am now in a part of the world I never expected, it is however a place that has afforded me relief and saved my life, and I have the happiness to assure you that I am now in perfect health...

Know then my own Dear Betsy, that I have lost the "Bounty"...on the 28th April at day light in the morning Christian having the morning watch. He with several others came into my Cabin while I was a Sleep, and seizing me, holding naked Bayonets at my Breast, tied my Hands behind my back, and threatened instant destruction if I uttered a word. I however call'd loudly for assistance, but the conspiracy was so well laid that the Officers Cabbin Doors were guarded by Centinels, so Nelson, Peckover, Samuels or the Master could not come to me. I was now dragged on Deck in my Shirt & closely guarded -- I demanded of Christian the case of such a violent act, & severely degraded for his Villainy but he could only answer -- "not a word sir or you are Dead." I dared him to the act & endeavored to rally some one to a sense of their duty but to no effect...

The Secrisy of this Mutiny is beyond all conception so that I can not discover that any who are with me had the least knowledge of it. Even Mr. Tom Ellison took such a liking to Otaheite [Tahiti] that he also turned Pirate, so that I have been run down by my own Dogs...

My misfortune I trust will be properly considered by all the World -- It was a circumstance I could not foresee -- I had not sufficient Officers & had they granted me Marines most likely the affair would never have happened -- I had not a Spirited & brave fellow about me & the Mutineers treated them as such. My conduct has been free of blame, & I showed everyone that, tied as I was, I defied every Villain to hurt me...

I know how shocked you will be at this affair but I request of you My Dear Betsy to think nothing of it all is now past & we will again looked forward to future happyness. Nothing but true consciousness as an Officer that I have done well could support me....Give my blessings to my Dear Harriet, my Dear Mary, my Dear Betsy & to my Dear little stranger* & tell them I shall soon be home...To You my Love I give all that an affectionate Husband can give --

Love, Respect & all that is or ever will be in the power of your
ever affectionate Friend and Husband Wm Bligh. [Alexander, Caroline, "The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty", (Viking Penguin, NY, 2003)p.154-156]

[* The Blighs' fourth child, another daughter, born a few months after Lt. Bligh sailed from England]

The Second Breadfruit Voyage

After his exoneration by the Court Martial inquiry into the loss of the "Bounty", Bligh remained in the British navy. From 1791-1793, as master and commander of HMS|Providence|1791|6 and in company with HMS "Assistance", he undertook again to transport breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies. [ [http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/banks/sections/section_09.cfm Section 9 - The second breadfruit voyage of William Bligh ] ] The operation was successful, and breadfruit is a popular food in the West Indies to this day. [ [http://www.kew.org/ksheets/fruits.html Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Information Sheets: Staple Foods II - Fruits ] ] During this voyage Bligh also collected samples of the ackee fruit of Jamaica, introducing it to the Royal Society in Britain upon his return. [ [http://www.kew.org/ksheets/fruits.html Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Information Sheets: Staple Foods II - Fruits ] ] The ackee's scientific name "Blighia sapida" in binomial nomenclature was given in honour of Bligh.

Subsequent career

In 1797 Bligh was one of the captains whose crews mutinied over "issues of pay and involuntary service for common seamen" during the Spithead mutiny.cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A3970352|title=William Bligh - Vice Admiral of the Blue] Despite receiving some of their demands at Spithead, disputes over navy life continued among the common sailors. Bligh was again one of the captains affected during the mutiny at the Royal Navy anchorage of Nore. "Bligh became more directly involved in the Nore Mutiny", which "failed to achieve its goals of a fairer division of prize money and an end to brutality." It should be noted that these events were not triggered by any specific actions by Bligh as they "were widespread, [and] involved a fair number of English ships". It was at this time that he learned "that his common nickname among men in the fleet was 'that Bounty bastard'."

Bligh went on to serve under Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen on 2 April 1801, in command of HMS "Glatton", a 56-gun ship of the line, which was experimentally fitted exclusively with carronades. After the battle, Bligh was personally praised by Nelson for his contribution to the victory. He sailed "Glatton" safely between the banks while three other vessels ran aground. When Nelson pretended not to notice Admiral Parker's signal "43" (stop the battle) and kept the signal "16" hoisted continue the engagement, Bligh was the only captain in the squadron who could see that the two signals were in conflict. By choosing to fly Nelson's signal, he ensured that all the vessels behind him kept fighting.

As captain of HMS "Director", at the Battle of Camperdown, Bligh engaged three Dutch vessels: the "Haarlem", the "Alkmaar" and the "Vrijheid". While the Dutch suffered serious casualties, only 7 seamen were wounded in "Director".

Bligh was offered the position of Governor of New South Wales by Sir Joseph Banks and appointed in March 1805, at £2,000 per annum, twice the pay of the retiring Governor Philip Gidley King. He arrived in Sydney in August 1806, to become the fourth governor. There he suffered another mutiny, the Rum Rebellion, when, on 26 January 1808, the New South Wales Corps under Major George Johnston marched on Government House and arrested him. He sailed to Hobart in HMS "Porpoise", failed to gain support to retake control of the colony and remained effectively imprisoned on board from 1808 until January 1810.

Bligh sailed from Hobart and arrived in Sydney on 17 January 1810 to collect evidence for the upcoming Court Martial of Major George Johnston. He departed for the trial in Britain in HMS "Porpoise" on 12 May 1810 and arrived on 25 October 1810. The Court Martial sentenced Johnston to be cashiered, a form of disgraceful dismissal that entailed surrendering his commission in the Royal Marines without compensation. Soon after, Bligh received a backdated promotion to Rear Admiral, and in 1814 he was promoted again, to Vice Admiral of the Blue.

Bligh designed the North Bull Wall at the mouth of the River Liffey in Dublin. Its purpose was to clear a sandbar by venturii action. As a result of its building the north bull island was formed by the sand cleared by the river's more narrowly focussed force. Bligh also charted and mapped Dublin bay.

Bligh died in Bond Street, London on 6 December 1817 and was buried in a family plot at St. Mary's, Lambeth. (This church is now the Museum of Garden History.) His tomb, notable for its use of Coade stone, is topped by a breadfruit. A plaque marks Bligh's house, one block east of the Museum.

References

* Christopher Lloyd, "St.Vincent & Camperdown", B.T. Batsford Ltd., London, 1963.
* "Atlas of Maritime History". ISBN 0-8317-0485-3.
* G.P. Bom Hgz, "D'VRIJHEID", Amsterdam, 1897.
* Gavin Kennedy, "Bligh",
*Dictionary of Australian Biography|First=William|Last=Bligh|Link=http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-dict-biogBe-Bo.html#bligh1

Further reading

* Alexander, Caroline. "The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty", Viking Penguin, 2003, hardcover, 512 pages, ISBN 0-670-03133-X.
*Bligh, William. "The Bounty Mutiny: Captain William Bligh's Firsthand Account of the Last Voyage of HMS Bounty". St Petersburg, Florida: Red and Black Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-1-934941-06-5
* Conway, Christiane (2005). "Letters from the Isle of Man - The Bounty-Correspondence of Nessy and Peter Heywood". The Manx Experience. ISBN 1-873120-77-X.
* Dening, Greg. "Mr Bligh's Bad Language: passion, power and theatre on the Bounty" (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992). Reprinted 1994 in the Canto series, ISBN 0-521-46718-7.
* McKinney, Sam. "Bligh: A True Account of the Mutiny Abord His Majesty's Ship Bounty", International Marine Publishing Company, 1989, hardcover, 210 pages, ISBN 0-87742-981-2.
* Mackaness, George. "The life of Vice-Admiral William Bligh, R.N., F.R.S." [New and rev. ed.] . Sydney, Angus and Robertson, [1951] .
* Schreiber, Roy. "Captain Bligh's Second Chance: An eyewitness account of his return to the south seas by Lt George Tobin", UNSW Press, 2007, paperback, 208 pages, http://www.unireps.com.au/isbn/0868408468.htm.
* Toohey, John. "Captain Bligh's Portable Nightmare", London: Fourth Estate, 1999. ISBN 1-84115-078-9.

External links

*, including:
** [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/20337 A Narrative Of The Mutiny, On Board His Majesty's Ship Bounty] , 1790
** [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/15411 A Voyage to the South Sea] , 1792
* [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?sText=William+Bligh&LinkID=mp00451 Portraits of Bligh] in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
* [http://www.norfolkisland.com.au/HistoryAndCulture/timeline.cfm Norfolk Island Your Island Home] .
* [http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_bounty.htm Royal Naval Museum] .
* [http://www.lareau.org/sagaintro.htm The Saga of HMS Bounty and Pitcairn Island] .
* [http://www.abc.net.au/bligh/ The Extraordinary Life, Times and Travels of Vice-Admiral William Bligh] . A major on-line biography of Bligh based around a dramatically illustrated graphic novel in ten chapters. Produced by [http://www.filmartdoco.com/ Film Art Doco] with assistance from the Australian Film Commission and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
* [http://www.atmitchell.com/journeys/history/terra/logbook.cfm William Bligh's official HMS Bounty logbook - State Library of NSW]
* [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010111b.htm A. G. L. Shaw, 'Bligh, William (1754 - 1817)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, MUP, 1966, pp 118-122.] ]
*There is a display devoted to Bligh at the [http://www.museumgardenhistory.org/grave.htm Museum of Garden History] .

Источник: William Bligh