A Narrative Of The Mutiny, On Board His Majesty's Ship Bounty Part 5

Sunday, May the 24th. Fresh gales and fine weather; wind S S E and S.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 24.]

Towards the evening the weather looked much better, which rejoiced all hands, so that they eat their scanty allowance with more satisfaction than for some time past. The night also was fair; but, being always wet with the sea, we suffered much from the cold. A fine morning, I had the pleasure to see, produce some chearful countenances. Towards noon the weather improved, and, the first time for 15 days past, we found a little warmth from the sun. We stripped, and hung our cloaths up to dry, which were by this time become so thread-bare, that they would not keep out either wet or cold.

At noon I observed in lat.i.tude 13 33' S; longitude, by account, from Tofoa 33 28' W; course N 84 W; distance 114 miles. With the usual allowance of bread and water for dinner, I served an ounce of pork to each person.

[Sidenote: Monday 25.]

Monday, May the 25th. Fresh gales and fair weather. Wind S S E.

This afternoon we had many birds about us, which are never seen far from land, such as b.o.o.bies and noddies.

[Sidenote: Allowance lessened.]

About three o'clock the sea began to run fair, and we shipped but little water, I therefore determined to know the exact quant.i.ty of bread I had left; and on examining found, according to my present issues, sufficient for 29 days allowance. In the course of this time I hoped to be at Timor; but, as that was very uncertain, and perhaps after all we might be obliged to go to Java, I determined to proportion my issues to six weeks. I was apprehensive that this would be ill received, and that it would require my utmost resolution to enforce it; for, small as the quant.i.ty was which I intended to take away, for our future good, yet it might appear to my people like robbing them of life, and some, who were less patient than their companions, I expected would very ill brook it.

I however represented it so essentially necessary to guard against delays in our voyage by contrary winds, or other causes, promising to enlarge upon the allowance as we got on, that it was readily agreed to.

I therefore fixed, that every person should receive one 25th of a pound of bread for breakfast, and one 25th of a pound for dinner; so that by omitting the proportion for supper, I had 43 days allowance.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 25.]

At noon some noddies came so near to us, that one of them was caught by hand. This bird is about the size of a small pigeon. I divided it, with its entrails, into 18 portions, and by the method of, Who shall have this[*]? it was distributed with the allowance of bread and water for dinner, and eat up bones and all, with salt water for sauce. I observed the lat.i.tude 13 32' S; longitude made 35 19' W; and course N 89 W; distance 108 miles.

[*] One person turns his back on the object that is to be divided: another then points separately to the portions, at each of them asking aloud, "Who shall have this?" to which the first answers by naming somebody. This impartial method of division gives every man an equal chance of the best share.

[Sidenote: Tuesday 26.]

Tuesday, May the 26th. Fresh gales at S S E, and fine weather.

In the evening we saw several b.o.o.bies flying so near to us, that we caught one of them by hand. This bird is as large as a good duck; like the noddy, it has received its name from seamen, for suffering itself to be caught on the masts and yards of ships. They are the most presumptive proofs of being in the neighbourhood of land of any sea-fowl we are acquainted with. I directed the bird to be killed for supper, and the blood to be given to three of the people who were the most distressed for want of food. The body, with the entrails, beak, and feet, I divided into 18 shares, and with an allowance of bread, which I made a merit of granting, we made a good supper, compared with our usual fare.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 26.]

In the morning we caught another b.o.o.by, so that Providence seemed to be relieving our wants in a very extraordinary manner. Towards noon we pa.s.sed a great many pieces of the branches of trees, some of which appeared to have been no long time in the water. I had a good observation for the lat.i.tude, and found my situation to be in 13 41'

S; my longitude, by account, from Tofoa, 37 13' W; course S 85 W, 112 miles. Every person was now overjoyed at the addition to their dinner, which I distributed as I had done in the evening; giving the blood to those who were the most in want of food.

To make our bread a little savoury we frequently dipped it in salt water; but for my own part I generally broke mine into small pieces, and eat it in my allowance of water, out of a cocoa-nut sh.e.l.l, with a spoon, economically avoiding to take too large a piece at a time, so that I was as long at dinner as if it had been a much more plentiful meal.

[Sidenote: Wednesday 27.]

Wednesday, May the 27th. Fresh breezes south-easterly, and fine weather.

The weather was now serene, but unhappily we found ourselves unable to bear the sun's heat; many of us suffering a languor and faintness, which made life indifferent. We were, however, so fortunate as to catch two b.o.o.bies to-day; their stomachs contained several flying-fish and small cuttlefish, all of which I saved to be divided for dinner.

We pa.s.sed much drift wood, and saw many birds; I therefore did not hesitate to p.r.o.nounce that we were near the reefs of New Holland, and a.s.sured every one I would make the coast without delay, in the parallel we were in, and range the reef till I found an opening, through which we might get into smooth water, and pick up some supplies. From my recollection of captain Cook's survey of this coast, I considered the direction of it to be N W, and I was therefore satisfied that, with the wind to the southward of E, I could always clear any dangers.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 27.]

At noon I observed in lat.i.tude 13 26' S; course since yesterday N 82 W; distance 109 miles; longitude made 39 4' W. After writing my account, I divided the two birds with their entrails, and the contents of their maws, into 18 portions, and, as the prize was a very valuable one, it was divided as before, by calling out Who shall have this? so that to-day, with the allowance of a 25th of a pound of bread at breakfast, and another at dinner, with the proportion of water, I was happy to see that every person thought he had feasted.

[Sidenote: Thursday 28.]

Thursday, May the 28th. Fresh breezes and fair weather; wind E S E and E.

In the evening we saw a gannet; and the clouds remained so fixed in the west, that I had little doubt of our being near to New Holland; and every person, after taking his allowance of water for supper, began to divert himself with conversing on the probability of what we should find.

At one in the morning the person at the helm heard the sound of breakers, and I no sooner lifted up my head, than I saw them close under our lee, not more than a quarter of a mile distant from us. I immediately hauled on a wind to the N N E, and in ten minutes time we could neither see nor hear them.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 28.]

I have already mentioned my reason for making New Holland so far to the southward; for I never doubted of numerous openings in the reef, through which I could have access to the sh.o.r.e: and, knowing the inclination of the coast to be to the N W, and the wind mostly to the southward of E, I could with ease range such a barrier of reefs till I should find a pa.s.sage, which now became absolutely necessary, without a moment's loss of time. The idea of getting into smooth water, and finding refreshments, kept my people's spirits up: their joy was very great after we had got clear of the breakers, to which we had been much nearer than I thought was possible to be before we saw them.

In the morning, at day-light, I bore away again for the reefs, and saw them by nine o'clock. The sea broke furiously over every part, and I had no sooner got near to them, than the wind came at E, so that we could only lie along the line of the breakers, within which we saw the water so smooth, that every person already antic.i.p.ated the heart-felt satisfaction he would receive, as soon as we could get within them. But I now found we were embayed, for I could not lie clear with my sails, the wind having backed against us, and the sea set in so heavy towards the reef that our situation was become dangerous. We could effect but little with the oars, having scarce strength to pull them; and it was becoming every minute more and more probable that we should be obliged to attempt pushing over the reef, in case we could not pull off. Even this I did not despair of effecting with success, when happily we discovered a break in the reef, about one mile from us, and at the same time an island of a moderate height within it, nearly in the same direction, bearing W 1/2 N. I entered the pa.s.sage with a strong stream running to the westward; and found it about a quarter of a mile broad, with every appearance of deep water.

On the outside, the reef inclined to the N E for a few miles, and from thence to the N W; on the south side of the entrance, it inclined to the S S W as far as I could see it; and I conjecture that a similar pa.s.sage to this which we now entered, may be found near the breakers that I first discovered, which are 23 miles S of this channel.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 28.]

I did not recollect what lat.i.tude Providential channel[*] lies in, but I considered it to be within a few miles of this, which is situate in 12 51' S lat.i.tude.

[*] Providential Channel is in 12 34' S, longitude 143 33' E.

Being now happily within the reefs, and in smooth water, I endeavoured to keep near them to try for fish; but the tide set us to the N W; I therefore bore away in that direction, and, having promised to land on the first convenient spot we could find, all our past hardships seemed already to be forgotten.

At noon I had a good observation, by which our lat.i.tude was 12 46' S, whence the foregoing situations may be considered as determined with some exactness. The island first seen bore W S W five leagues. This, which I have called the island Direction, will in fair weather always shew the channel, from which it bears due W, and may be seen as soon as the reefs, from a ship's mast-head: it lies in the lat.i.tude of 12 51'

S. These, however, are marks too small for a ship to hit, unless it can hereafter be ascertained that pa.s.sages through the reef are numerous along the coast, which I am inclined to think they are, and then there would be little risk if the wind was not directly on the sh.o.r.e.

My longitude, made by dead reckoning, from the island Tofoa to our pa.s.sage through the reef, is 40 10' W. Providential channel, I imagine, must lie very nearly under the same meridian with our pa.s.sage; by which it appears we had out-run our reckoning 1 9'.

We now returned G.o.d thanks for his gracious protection, and with much content took our miserable allowance of a 25th of a pound of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, for dinner.

[Sidenote: Friday 29.]

Friday, May the 29th. Moderate breezes and fine weather, wind E S E.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 29.]

As we advanced within the reefs, the coast began to shew itself very distinctly, with a variety of high and low land; some parts of which were covered with wood. In our way towards the sh.o.r.e we fell in with a point of a reef, which is connected with that towards the sea, and here I came to a grapnel, and tried to catch fish, but had no success. The island Direction now bore S three or four leagues. Two islands lay about four miles to the W by N, and appeared eligible for a resting-place, if nothing more; but on my approach to the first I found it only a heap of stones, and its size too inconsiderable to shelter the boat. I therefore proceeded to the next, which was close to it and towards the main, where, on the N W side, I found a bay and a fine sandy point to land at.

Our distance was about a quarter of a mile from a projecting part of the main, bearing from S W by S, to N N W 3/4 W. I now landed to examine if there were any signs of the natives being near us; but though I discovered some old fire-places, I saw nothing to alarm me for our situation during the night. Every one was anxious to find something to eat, and I soon heard that there were oysters on the rocks, for the tide was out; but it was nearly dark, and only a few could be gathered. I determined therefore to wait till the morning, to know how to proceed, and I consented that one half of us should sleep on sh.o.r.e, and the other in the boat. We would gladly have made a fire, but, as we could not accomplish it, we took our rest for the night, which happily was calm and undisturbed.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 29.]

The dawn of day brought greater strength and spirits to us than I expected; for, notwithstanding every one was very weak, there appeared strength sufficient remaining to make me conceive the most favourable hopes of our being able to surmount the difficulties we might yet have to encounter.

As soon as I saw that there were not any natives immediately near us, I sent out parties in search of supplies, while others were putting the boat in order, that I might be ready to go to sea in case any unforeseen cause might make it necessary. The first object of this work, that demanded our attention, was the rudder: one of the gudgeons had come out, in the course of the night, and was lost. This, if it had happened at sea, would probably have been the cause of our perishing, as the management of the boat could not have been so nicely preserved as these very heavy seas required. I had often expressed my fears of this accident, and, that we might be prepared for it, had taken the precaution to have grummets fixed on each quarter of the boat for oars; but even our utmost readiness in using them, I fear, would not have saved us. It appears, therefore, a providential circ.u.mstance, that it happened at this place, and was in our power to remedy the defect; for by great good luck we found a large staple in the boat that answered the purpose.

The parties were now returned, highly rejoiced at having found plenty of oysters and fresh water. I also had made a fire, by help of a small magnifying gla.s.s, that I always carried about me, to read off the divisions of my s.e.xtants; and, what was still more fortunate, among the few things which had been thrown into the boat and saved, was a piece of brimstone and a tinder-box, so that I secured fire for the future.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 29.]