The Bounty, (originally the Bethia) was purchased by the Navy and taken to  Deptford for
refitting and supply on 26 May1787. The Bounty carried four 4-pounders and ten swivels.

The Bounty was too small and cramped for a long mission. The ships statistics: 215 tons, length
on deck 90 feet 10 inches breadth 24 feet 3 inches.

In comparison Captain Cook's Endeavour weighed 368 tons and the Resolution 462 tons.

The refit commenced in June 1787, the great cabin was converted to house the pots holding the breadfruit plants and gratings fitted to the upper deck.

Bligh was appointed commander on the 16 August and could not have known that the events to follow would go into the history books.

On the 23rd December 1787 H.M.S. Bounty sailed from Spithead on a voyage to Tahiti arriving 25th October 1788 having traveled 27,086 miles averaging 180 miles each day.

Bligh instructed the crew not to tell the natives that Captain Cook had been killed and eaten by the Polynesians of the Sandwiche Isles in 1779 as the Tahitians worshipped Cook as a "God".

The Bounty was loaded with breadfruit plants destined for the Caribbean to provide food for the slaves.

On 28 april 1789 on route to the Caribbeans Fletcher Christain led a mutiny aboard H.M.S.Bounty.

The Mutineers set Captain William Bligh and 18 of his crew adrift in the ships launch. Christian safely sailed the pirated and under-manned Bounty on an epic 8,000 mile Pacific voyage in search of a haven.

He sailed to Tahiti and with six Tahitian men and twelve women aboard eventually came upon Pitcairn Island where they settled in 1790.

The Mutineers who elected to stay at Tahiti were captured and were to sail back to England on board H.M.S. Pandora where they were to face Court Martial.

A paradise Pitcairn could have been, for the Mutineers this was not to be. Fletcher Christain, John Williams, Isaac Martin, John Mills and William Brown were murdered by the Tahitians.

Mathew Quintal was killed by Young and Adams in self defence. William McCoy became insane and jumped over a cliff and Edward Young died of asthma.

John Adams was the sole survivor and died in 1829.The Pitcairn Community became too large for the small island to cater for and in 1856 many descendants moved to Norfolk Island.


Breadfruit The Crew The Mutiny The Mutineers Launch Tahiti HMS Pandora
Barrier Reef Pitcairn Island Paradise Court Martial The Voyage Norfolk Island Events Table