Friday, May 25, 2012

PATRIARCH The Incredible True Story of John Adams

INTRODUCTION
How do you even begin to tell this true life story of Gods grace , a story so amazing that it needs no embelishment on my part. Why this story has been hidden for nearly two centuries i do not know, but I am going to try my best in these pages to relate it as it happened and to restore the Christian heart of the tale that other authors have either chosen to ignore, prefering to concentrate on the solatious or by design and motive, have removed entirely.
This is a Christian story and a true story. It is the witness of the restoritive , healing and resurecting powers of grace on both a man and a situation so seemingly broken by sin and beyond repair. This story has parralles in my own life and that i suppose is why it speaks to me so deeply and that is why I feel so drawn to blow the dust off and share it with you today. The decent into barbarism, the immorality, the alcoholism the darkness and then the new dawn.
Rather then confuse the reader with the intertwinnig of two stories simultaniously it might be as well to leave John Adams tale to tell it'self and to place mine in the shadow of his.
The sources for the details of what happened on the Island of Pitcairn are many, but I have decided to let one of the earliest be the one that most is drawn from. That work is ' Pitcairn; The Island, the People and the Pastor. Published in 1853. I shall include also the remarks of some of the other earliest visitors who stumbled upon this restored garden of Eden.
For the many readers who may not be associated with the ' Mutiny on the Bounty', it will be necessary to aquaint them with the act of disobedience that catapulted the players in this drama through the series of events that this book purposes to retell. I felt that the nature of some of the more disturbing and violent developments that took place on the Island of Pitcairn , and to which pevious books on the same subect have overfocussed upon should perhaps be left more to the readers imagination rather than a gory overworking on my part. It is the redeeming from the darkness to the light that should interest us far more than peering into the darkness it'self.
CHAPTER ONE : TWIGHLIGHT
'In the year 1787, in the reign of King George the third, his majesty's ship , Bounty, was fitted out by the English government , for the purpose of proceeding to the South Sea Islands for plants of the bread-fruit tree, which afforded to the inhabitants of those islands and of Otaheite [Tahiti] especially, the greater part of their food.
Lieutenant William Bligh, to whom the command of the vessel had been given, was then about thirty-three years of age.
The ship Bounty , of 215 tons burden , left Spithead on the 23rd of December, 1787, carrying forty-six persons, including the commander, and a botanist, and gardener
During the voyage Bligh lost an able seaman, James Valentine. This man's case appears to have been cruelly mismanaged by the surgeon who was an indolent and intemperate man. Valentine had been one of the most robust people on board, but for some slight indisposition, was bled in the arm . Some time afterwards , the arm became painful and inflamed. The inflamation increased; a hollow cough and extreme difficulty of breathing came on, and the poor fellows death soon put a end to his suffering.
The original instructions from the admiralty , dated November the 20th, 1787, were he should proceed round Cape Horn .Owing however to the advanced season of the year and the delay caused by contrary winds , he had applied for and recieved, discretional orders to go round the Cape of Good Hope to Otaheite. Having tried in vain in a tempestuous ocean to go by Cape Horn he took his course towards the island of Tristan d'Acunha and at last made a passage round the Cape of Good Hope. Having visited Cape Town and afterwards Van Diemens Land, and passed near New Zealand, the ship at length arrived at Otaheite, anchoring in Matavai Bay at 10 in the forenoon of the 26th of October 1788.'
After a voyage of 27,086 miles, and taking ten months, the Bounty had reached her destination.
It seems that contrary to popular belief, Captain Bligh was far from being the harsh authoritarian character that histoically many believe him to be. His crew were all volunteers, not a man was press ganged into service. He broke down the ' watches' into three rather than the cutomary two. This gave the crew much more time for either sleep or for general relaxation than was usually the case on board most ships of the time. Bligh even went as far as to procure a ships fiddler to provide jigging time for the crew to excersice by during the times of ships innactivity. This being often the case when sailing the trade winds. Along with the provision of saurcraut and solid vegetable soup to prevent scurvey, it seems that the crews welfare was as good if not substantially better than many Captains of the period. He was as far as the British navy is concerened arguably the least diciplinarian Captain of his time, even the 'humanitarian' Captain cook had more need to use the Cat of nine tails than Bligh.
Tahiti was an island that would have held immense promise for the sea weary sailor, not only in the form of provisions of which the Island always produced in quantity, but also for it's inhabitants culture of extreme sexual promiscuity. This promiscuity must have become near legendary, and stories of immodesty and immorality would have swept like wildfire along the taverns and docklands of western Europe. Sad to say the reports of the chronic degree of sexual licence ,unlike the exageratiion of schoolboy whisperings, would for the most part been more than accurate. The sailors hearts must have been beating fast as land came in sight, thier eyes must have been straining to catch the fine details of the little shapes on the beach as the ship grew closer to land . and when finally the canoes that carried the natives pulled up at the sides of the ships hull their wildest fantasies must have been realised.
The sailors of the period must have each been of a similar type, for the most part hard drinking, hard working and hard swearing. They came from a cold wet climate with cramped and filthy living conditions and their lives for the most part would have been governed and enforced by the rule of the law of the land. Just imagine the contrast thousands of miles away from home, on a paradise Island of white sand and warm blue sea, surrounded by beautiful and near naked inhabitants whose only rule governing permissable sexual behavior was ones imagination. For the carnal man of the past and for the carnal man of today this combination of unlimited food, of sun, sea, and sexual excess must have seemed like a paradise beyond their wildest imagination. Indeed this is the ultimate goal of the flesh, a goal that for the flesh seems like super life, but for the spirit this life brings with it only death and corruption.
The Tahitian culture at that time was one that cannot fittingly be described on these pages, as the word pictures that the descriptions would conjure would at the minimum be a burden...perhaps even a stumbling block.
Briefly, this was a society that practised what would rightly be considered deviant human behavior, issues of age of consent , infantside was considered family planning , the status and the treatment of women was so reprehensible that a woman who simply ate in the company of a man could be killed for doing so.
Today as Christs laws are peeled back ever more each day, man encounters the dilema's that primitive cultures faced and more and more are coming to the same conclusions as the solutions for those dilemas, No wonder that pressures from below daily eats away the last residual fat of Christian morality. Without the fixed polarites of absolute good and evil , man has no longer any governing principles with which to navigate and therefore take direction from when trying to decide a course of action on any proposed moral choice. The theory goes that the more liberty that is extended the greater the freedom that man will experience. That freedom however elavates mortal sin to the status of lifestyle choice. The only difference between a primitive pagan society and a civilised pagan society will be the efficiency and the scale of it's implementation and enforcement of those choices under the banner of human rights.
The first thing Bligh did upon arriving on the island was to establish a station on shore for the gathering and the processing of the breadfruit trees. The procurement of which should have taken a fortnight but for a variety of reasons the Bounty remained anchored off shore for twenty-three weeks. Bligh has been criticised for the delay especially for the non-productive inactivity of his crew for such a long period amid such a variet of temptations. It seems that he allowed them almost total autonomy in their actions while away from work. The forbidden fruit of the garden was forbidden no more and they certainly took no encouragement in availing themselves of the pleasures that were so readily available. Many became speedily enculturated by this inebriating climate and 'went native' as it were, spending most of the time with their indiginous new friends and concubines, in having themselves extensively tatooed in the Tahitian style and a few including Fletcher Christian established a special relationship with just the one woman, who for all intents and purposes became his 'wife'.
So thoughraly intoxicating had life on 'pleasure Island ' become that three of the crew took a ships boat and several firearms and attempted to go into hiding on a neighbouring Island untill after the Bounty had left to return to England. These men were quickly recaptured with the help of the local chiefs. Rather than have them executed for desertion, which was the punishment for such a crime , Bligh had them flogged, twenty three lashes to be repeated again in three weeks . It seems a harsh punishment , but when one considers that hanging was the usual penalty for that degree of misdemenour, it seems again to indicate a degree softness on Blighs part. The easy recapture of the deserters would have given much food for thought for those members of the crew who felt like them that life on Thahiti was one far more appealing then one spent in penury under the grey skies of the home counties.
Captain Bligh was later to catalogue his thoughts in the following manner :' The Women at Ohaheite are handsome, mild and chearful in their manners and conversation, possessed of a great sensibility, and have sufficient delicacy to make them admired and beloved. The chiefs were so much attatched to our people , that they rather encouraged their stay among them than otherwise, and even made promises of large possessions. Under these, and many other attendant circumstances, equally desireable, it now perhaps not so much to be wondered at, though scarcely possible to have been foreseen, that a set of sailors, most of them void of connections, should be led away: especially when, in addition to such powerful inducements, they imagined it in their power to fix themselves in the midst of plenty, on the finest Island in the world, where they need not labour, and where the allurents of dissipation are beyond anything that can be concieved. The utmost , however, that any commander could have supposed to have happened is, that some of the people would have attempted to desert. But if it should be asserted, that a commander is to gaurd against an act of mutiny and piracy in his ship, more than by common rules of service, it is as much to say that he must sleep locked up, and when awake , be girded with pistols,'
Blighs down grading on the standard punishment for those deserters, far from being seen as an alturistic act of benevolence on his part, would be seen by them as a sign of weakness, and that was the sign that they were waiting for.
Maybe like the father of a group of unruly teenage sons who have been off the leash for too long , Bligh felt torn between his own weakness and fear of direct confrontation, and the necessity to restore order to a situation that through his own negligence threatened to go beyond his control. In the end he chose the route less likely to explode into all out rebellion, while giving the appearence[ he hoped] that he still maintained mastery .
To quote Rev Thomas ' In their original desertion and robbery, they had been guilty of an atrocious crime; and their case affords one, among many of the dangers of passing over the first outbreak of a rebellious spirit. Like a fire, if not put out at once, it will be sure to spread.'
Repeated unchecked and unchallenged acts of disobedience, no matter how seemingly trivial brings the rebel ever closer to the seat of power. Until the day when the child sits enthroned and the overthrown parent squats sukily on it's steps. Imagine if you will, this scenario.
If the parent remains firm and intransible in the face of a child determined to get it's own way , eventually the child will acquiese , especially if physical punishment is either threatened or used. Infact it is imperitive that short of appearing a hypocrite, a parent be seen to win in each and every exchange between the power of his will and the developing will of the child.
Today in so many cases the tables are turned and it is the parent who is screaming and shouting, threatening, crying or begging and it is the child who realises that if he remains firm in the face of his parents [ usually but not exclusively Mum] tantrums he will emerge the victor. and every victory that the child secures, entrenches this role reversal. And with it comes a childs increasing contempt for the parent he desperatly wants to be stronger than himself. If we reflect awhile , it becomes more than apparant that Fathers are captains, their wives are first mates, their first born becomes second mate and the rest of their children are the crew. Their family as a whole could be considered the vessel, the circumstances they place themselves in become the seas they sail upon. Their mission, unlike Blighs bread fruit trees, is heaven, together. The people they meet in the sea's of circumstance are like populated Islands. It behoves the Captain to discern , sometimes even from afar as to whether each and every one of these Islands is going to assist them in reaching that final destination. Friends, family, recreation, tv, internet etc etc, all of these will have an impact. Unlike Bligh , a wise captain will use 'vision'. If storms threaten, no matter how much the Island seems to offer, he must weigh anchor, and take to the seas again. It is the spirit of compromise that will be his greatest enemy. compromise will offer so much, and seem to ask for so little in exchange , that his crew will, like rebellious israel moaning in the wilderness, attempt to influence his course of action. My ship , even as I type these passages, is going through rough seas at the moment. We are in a vast ocean, we have no assistance, in the form of friends or family. It is vital that the rest of the crew remain positive, cheerful and industrious. I must try and keep the spirit of consolation that God supplies me with, because if I lose that it will affect everyone onboard. I know it seems as if we are in dead water, with barely a breath to keep us moving, and yet it is what happens on board our ship during the trials of life that will determine far more than what is happening in the world outside , our final resting place.
With over one thousand bread-fruit plants safely aboard her, the Bounty left Tahiti on April 4th bound for the West Indies. During the period of nearly six months that the ship would have been out of regular usage the crew would have grown rusty and out of practice , not to say out of interest. Bligh seems to have attempted to restore this lack of efficiency in his crew , not by a combination of firmness and fairness, but rather through violent language and dire threats, for him they were' scoundrals, rascals, hell hounds , beasts and infamous wretches'.
Fletcher christian particularly came under Blighs invective, possibly because he was showing signs of depression for having left his beautiful ' wife', Mauatua behind and that depression would have been viewed as insolence on the part of the increasingly irate Bligh. The prospect of months of this continued harrasment, especially in front of the rest of the crew must have been a factor in Christians plan to go overboard on a homemade raft and make his way back to his loved one. However before he could put this hastily made idea into action, two senior members of the crew, Edward Young and George stewart somehow got wind it and managed to conivnce him that the risks of drowning, sharks and death by hostile natives was far to much of a gamble. Perhaps it was at this moment that very real idea of mutiny took shape.
CHAPTER TWO ; THE FALL
The night of the 27th of April, 1789, was remarked for it's beauty, even in the tropical regions, all nature being calm and lovely around; but it was the eve of the day of consternation and terror. On that night Christian had the watch for two hours. He had also the next morningswatch, which was from 4 to 8. Fullof desperate intentions, he began to sound Mathew Quintal and some others, and soon gained the greater part of the men. Having rapidly arranged their plans, they got at the arms, under pretence of requiring a gun to shoot a shark which was astern of the ship.
Latter on , Bligh would share his surprise at the events in the following words.
'The secrecy of this mutiny is beyond all conception. Thirteen of the party who were with me , had always lived forward among the people [ mutineers]; yet they neither they , nor the mess mate-mates of Christian, stewart , Haywood, and young, had ever observed any circumstance to give them suspicion of what was going on. With such close-planned acts of villany, and my mind free from any suspicion, it is not wonderful that I have been got the better of. Perhaps, If I had had marines, a centinel at my cabin door might have prevented it, for I slept with the door always open, that the officer of the watch might have access to me on all occassions. the possibility of such a conspiracy was ever the farthest from my thoughts . Had their mutiny bben occasioned by any grievences, either real or imaginary, I must have discovered symptoms of their discontent, which would gave put me on my gaurd: but the case was far otherwise. Christian, in particular, I was on the most friendly terms with; that very day he was engaged to have dined with me, on the pretence of being unwell; for which I felt concerned, having no suspicions of his integrity or honour.
This written testimony of Bligh's seems to fly in the face of the previous statement of Blighs personal invective towards Fetcher Christian His understanding of his relationship with Christian is so at odds that they would appear at first hand to contradict each other. The truth perhaps is that both Bligh and Christian authentially believed their respective positions to be the correct ones. The truth remains the truth, but their individual experience of that truth would be as different as their personalities and situations. Bligh could be forgiven for thinking that his slight added emphasis on forcing the pase, in pursuit of renewed efficiency to counteract the out of practise crews post holiday blues, was relatively minor, possibly unnoticeable.Something that his friend of many voyages could more than have taken in his stride. That perhaps more than anything shows that the weakness in Blighs character was not in over dicipline but in under empathising. What I mean by that is that he failed completely in understanding both the natures of his charges[ crew] in the face of the temptations they had met while on the Island of Tahiti. The thorns in the flesh had gone far deeper than the Captain could possibly have understood. Even going back to regular duties after six months of near complete dicipation would have felt like becoming galley slaves in a Roman tiremene not volunteers and professional sailors of her majesties navy. How could he have been so surprised? How many captains of their families are going to be surprised when the book of their lives is going to be opened , and not only their actions but the consequences of those actions are going to be shown them? While they collected bread fruit in the form of their own self interests, their children would ,like so many little lazaruses, fed up with surviving on the scraps from their parents table, gone off in pursuit of something better to fill the gnawing hunger that lack of love put in produces. And the variety of temptations that can be availed of via the internet are as nothing to those experienced by the crew of the Bounty. So much so that we live today in a world where the contents of the minds of the stranger or even the friend you meet on the street or the children that play with yours is unguessable. C S Lewis had a strikingly accurate premonition, when in his childrens book ' Prince Caspian' he wrote the following.
[Lucy] 'Such a horrible Idea has come into my head, Su.'
'What's that'
'Would'nt it be dreadful if some day, in our own world, at home, men started going wild inside, like the animals here, and still looked like men, so that you'd never know which from which.'
Bligh continues.
'Just before sunrising, Mr Christian, with the master at arms, gunner's mate and Thomas Burket, seaman, came into my cabin while I was asleep, and seizing me, tied my hands with a cord behind my back, and threatened me with instant death, If I spoke or made the least noise.
I however, called so loud as to alarm everyone, but they had already secured the officers who were not of their party, by placing centinels at their doors. There were three men at my cabin door besides the four within. Christian had only a cutlass in his hand, the others had muskets and bayonets. I was hauled out of my bed and forced on deck in my shirt, suffering great pain from the tightness with which they had tied my hands. I demanded the reason for such violence but recieved no other answer than threats of instant death, If I did not hold my tongue. Mr Elphinstone, the masters mate, was kept in his birth, Mr Nelson, botanist,Mr Peckham, gunner, Mr Ledward, surgeon and the master were confined to their cabins; and also the Clerk, Mr Samuel; but he soon obtained leave to come on deck. The forehatchway was gaurded by centinels; the boatswain and carpenter were, hower, allowed to come on deck where they saw me standing abaft the mizen-mast, with my hands tied behind my back, under a guard, with Christian at their head.
The boatswain was now ordered to hoist the launch out, with a threat, if he did not do it instantly to take care of himself. The boat being out, Mr Hayward and Mr Hallet, midshipman and Mr Hallet, midshipman and Mr Samuel, were ordered into it, upon which I demanded the cause of such an order and endevoured to perswade some one to sense of duty; 'Hold your tongue, sir, or you are dead this instant', was constantly repeated to me.
The Master, by this time had sent to be allowed on deck, which was permitted but he was soon ordered back again to his cabin.
I continued my endeavours to turn the tide of affairs, when Christian changed the cutlass he had in his hand for a bayonet, that was brought to him, and holding me with a strong gripe, by the cord that tied my hands, he with many oaths threatened to kill me immediatly if I would not be quiet; the villains round me had their pieces cocked and bayonets fixed. Particular people were now called to go into the boat, and wre hurried over the side; whense I concluded that with these people I was to be set adrift.
I therefore made another effort to bring about a change, but with no other effect than to be threatened with having my brains blown out. The boatswain and seamen, who were to go into the boat , were allowed to collect twine, canvas lines, sails, cordage , an eight and twenty gallon cask of water, and the carpenter to take his tool chest. Mr Samuel got 150lbs of bread with a small quantity of rum and wine. He also got a quadrant and compass into the boat, but was forbidden, on pain of death to touch either map, ephemeris, book of astronomical observations, sextant, time keeper, or any of my surveys or drawings.
The mutineers now hurried those they meant to get rid of into the boat.When most of them where in Christian directed a dram tobe served to each ofhis crew . I now unhappily saw that nothing could be done to effect the recovery of the ship; there was no one to assist me, and every endeavour on my part was answered with threats of death.
The officers were called and forced over the side into the boat, while I was kept apart from everyone, abaft the mizen mast, Christian, armed with a bayonet, holding me by the bandage that secured my hands. The guard round me had their pieces cocked, but, on my daring the ungrateful wretches to fire, they uncocked them . Isaac Martin, one of the guards over me, I saw, had an inclination to assist me, and, as he fed me with shaddock[ my lips being quite parched with my endevours to bring about a change] we explained our wishes to each other by our looks; but this being observed, Martin as instantly removed from me; his inclination then was to leave the ship, for which purpose he got into the boat, but with many threats they obliged him to return.
The armourer, joseph coleman and the two carpenters, McIntosh and Norman, were also kept contrary to their inclination; and they begged of me after I was astern in the boat,m to remember that they declared they had no hand in the transaction . Michael Byrne, I am told, likewise wanted to leave the ship . It is of no moment for me to recount my endeavours to bring back the offenders to a sense of their duty; all I could do was by speaking to them in general; but my endeavours were to no avail, for I was kept securely bound, and no one but the guard suffered to come near me.
To Mr Samuel I am indebted for securing my journals and commission, with some material ships papers, without these I had nothing to certify what I had done, and my honour and character might have been suspected, without my possessing a proper document to have defended them. all this he did with great resolution, though guarded and strictly watched. He attempted to save the time keeper and box with all my surveys, drawings, and remarks for fifteen years past, which were numerous. When he was hurried away, with'Damn your eyes, you're well of to get what you have'.
It appeared that Christian was some time in doubt whether he should keep the carpenter, or is mates; at length he determined the latter, and the carpenter was ordered into the boat. He was permitted , but not without some opposition, to take his tool chest. Much altercation took place among the mutinous crew during the whole business, some swore ' I'll be damned if he does not find his way home, if he gets anything away, damn my eyes, he will have a vessel built in a month'. While others laughed at the helpless situation of the boat being very deep, and so little room for those who were in her. As for Christian, he seemed meditating instant destruction on himself and everyone.
I asked for arms, but they laughed at me , and said I was well aquainted with the people where I was going , and therefore did not want them; four cutlasses, however were thrown into the boat , after we were veered astern.
When the officers and men with whom I have suffered to have no communication, were put into the boat, they only waited for me, and the master at armsinformed Christian of it ; who then said -'Come, Captain Bligh, your officers and men are now in the boat , and you must go with them; If you attempt to make the least resistence you will be instantly put to death', and without any farther ceremony, holding me by the cord that tied my hands, where they untied my hands. Being in the boat we were veered astern by a rope. A few pieces of pork were thrown to us , and some cloaths, also the cutlasses, I have already mentioned; and it was now that the armourer and carpenters called out to me to remember that they had no hand in the transaction. after having undergone a great deal of ridicule, and kept some time to make sport for these unfeeling wretches we were at lrngth cast adrift in the open ocean.
Not withstsanding the roughness with which I was treated, the rememberence of past kindesses produced some signs of remorse in Christian. When they were forcing me out of the ship, I asked him , if this treatment was a proper return for the many instances he had recieved of my friendship? He appeared disturbed at my question, and answered with much emotion, 'That - Captain Bligh, _that is the thing;-I am in hell-I am in hell'.
Fletchers powerful admission that he was in hell, gives us a picture of the iron grip that desire can have on our hearts. 'Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart'. Despite the use of his reason , his duty and his friendship he chose rebellion. How many of us , daily choose to do the same?
It is at this stage that the subject of this book can be first acknowledged. John Adams had signed aboard the Bounty under the assumed name of Alexander Smith, he only returned to the use of his real name much later. He is recorded as having been asleep during the opening of the mutiny and when drowsey in slumber he stumbled upon deck he had a musket thrust upon him. It must be assumed therefore that Adams had been present during the conspiritorial discussions the previous night. Blighs description of Adams is as follows
Alexander Smith, alias John Adams.Able seaman, aged 22, 5 feef 5 inches high, brown complexion, brown hair, strong made, very much pitted with the small pox, and very much tatooed on his body, legs , arms and feet; he has a scar on his right foot , where it had been cut by an axe.
Adams was born in Hackney , London in 1768. He was an orphan and his early years were spent brought up in the local poorhouse.
To return to the Mutineers. Having rid themselves of Bligh, a new commander had to be recognised. Rather than simply assume this role, Christian sought the consensus of the rest of his fellow Mutineers, and this he unanimously recieved. What to do now? They had on board men who were not part of the rebellion, men who might , given the opportunity attempt a counter-mutiny. Surprisingly the mutineers first choice was not to head straight back to Tahiti, drop off the potential threat, and re-establish the idyllic lifestyle that they had so recently become accustomed to . The reason is unclear , perhaps to return too soon would be a difficult one to justify to the chiefs of the Island , who up until recently had been firm friends of Captain Bligh . Such was the firmness of that friendship that Tinah, one of those chiefs, had allowed the 'sacred portait' of Captain Cook to be venerated aboard the Bounty during her stay. This portait , a gift from a previous expedition to the Islands, was used as an object of religious worship during the Tahitian religious festivals. Cook had it seems taken on deification. Little did the Islanders know that the man God Cook had been murdered by fellow polynesians some years before. A fact Bligh took considerable steps to obscure from the Tahitians , for obvious reasons.
Could it have been that Tahiti was no longer safe , eventually the royal Navy would send out a search party, regardless as to whether Bligh reached safety or drowned in the attempt. And Tahiti would be the first place they would look. The decision was made, they would sail 400 miles south of Tahiti , to the Island of Tubai.
Now Tubai was an Island quite different to the one they had just left behind, and their reception would be quite different, as we shall see.
After a month of sailing , the Bounty came in sight of her destination. Anchoring in a bay , the mutineers attempted to establish contact with the local natives . Apparantly this proved no problem and an enterprising local appeared with a large number of local beauties, whom he duly brought aboard. While the Bounties crew were entertaining down below , a warning alarm was sounded. War canoes had been sighted and were heading straight for the ship. A battle ensued. There were up to 50 of these lage , well manned canoes, crewed by muscular tubuains armed with an assortment of stones and spears. Protected by the height of the ships hull, the mutineers attempted to rebuff the attacks with their fire arms and even the ships cannon came into use. As the enemy attempted to swarm up the sides they would have been reppelled by a tattood arm holding a ships cutlass or the butt of a heavy musket. The fight cannot have lasted long , as the match would have been unequal . The Europeans with their technological and strategic advantage very soon put the attackers to flight leaving nearly a dozen dead, including it seems one native woman. So much for a south seas welcom!. There seemed now little reason to stay any longer and it was decided that the Bounty should sail immediately to the welcoming haven of Matavani bay, their previous anchorage in Tahiti.
Another month an they arrived full circle back in Tahiti. Slight problem, how could they explain away the absence of Bligh and nearly half the ships crew . A rather ingenious explanation had been decided upon during their return journey . Tinah, the 6ft4' chief was told that en-route to the West Indies [ the final resting place for the bread-fruit plants ] they had actually bumped into Captain Cook, who very generously offered to take not only the cargo of bread fruit trees off their hands and transport them to their destination, but had also agreed to take Bligh and that potion of the Bounties crew that were absent to help them with their endeavour. The only problem that Cook had, was that he needed supplies. The invocation of the sacred name of Cook worked surprisingly well , and under his intercession 460 island pigs, fifty goats, plus chickens and an assorted number of cats and dogs were loaded aboard, along with a full hull of provisions in the form of cocoa-nuts, plantains and bread fruit , room having been made previously by the unceremonious dumping overboard of the bread- fruit trees. There were many Islanders that would have given much to accompany the crew on their voyage and in the end the ship left Tahiti carrying nine men, eight boys and ten women. Amazingly, despite the ' battle of bloody bay', in Tubuai, Christian had persuaded his fellows that that was the place to build their future.. Maybe he had picked up intelligence that convinced him that one of the many warring Chiefs of Tubuai might assist them in return for their help and military expertise. [Many times in the course of history it seems that invaders are welcomed by some portion of the invaded, who then seek to use the muscle of the invaders to their own advantage in their desputes with their neighbours, that is until they themselves become the victims]
So back to Tubuai; One of the three chiefs of the Island did indeed offer the newcomers land in return for sevice and no doubt gifts, the problem was that the land he offered them was not deemed suitable to Christian , who decided on appropriating a far more suitable one , unfortunately this land was under the juristiction of another chief, who was none too happy having initially been rebuffed in the courtship proceedings that must have tentatively taken place upon arrival. Another problem was that despite being quite happy with the mutineers having liasons with the native women , they drew the line at having them moved to the permanent residense of ' fort George', which was the patriotically named stockade that had been built by Christian and his fellows upon settling on the Island. It was an impressive accomplishment , 50 yards square, 12 ft walls, a 20 ft wide ditch and one huge gate at the front. The ships cannons were hauled from the bounty all the way through the jungle and positioned for defence, and the fort even had the Union Jack fluttering over it's sharpened battlements!
The local chiefs must have increasingly viewed the interlopers as a common enemy, however experience had taught them that attrition rather than all out warfare was the way forward. One of their first implementations was to restrict the Europeans access to native women. The effect of this embargo was to draw out individuals of a less continent disposition. John adams, Mathew Quintal and John sumner all attempted night time forays , Adams being held captive overnight although subsequently released. Christian, in an attempt to enforce his authority held a pistol to Quintals head and threatened to blow his brains out if he or any others refused to obey orders in the future. The men risked being stripped and beaten if they were caught walking or working alone , this no doubt led to them spending more and more time close to the cantonement of fort st george.
The turn of events seem to have esculated when some of the Tahitian men that came to Tubuai with the mutineers decided to approach the tubuains with the proposal that they join forces in a surprise attack against their former friends. The promise of a share in the spoils that a victory would bring quickly brought assent , that and an end to the colonial activities of the Europeans.
An account of the proceeding events was later given by ' Jenny', one of the Tahitian women attatched to the mutineers.
'One of the Otaheitians , who belong to the bounty, proposed to the Tabouai people, that incase the Englishmen should settle on the island, they should unite and take the ship, murder the crew, and share the property. this coming to the ears of Christians wife, she informed him of the plot, but did not tell him that an Otaheitian was the contriver of it. The secret having transpired, led to a battle between the mutineers and the Tubuai people, in which the latter were defeated with considerable loss.'
This was the first recorded time when a Tahitian woman would choose he european lover over her own people, and it would not be the last!
Christian seems to have taken the initiative upon hearing the news . And launched a pre-emptive strike upon the Islanders , The mutineers seem to have had by far the better of the following exchanges with just one wounded casualty to sixty six Tubuains dead. Maybe the ships cannons went into action, or maybe it was the musket power that one the day. However despite this victory , the disposition of the tubuains was set , and this made many of the crew of the Bounty unwilling to countenence a further prolongation on the Island.
Christian for his part seems to have been even more determined to stay, especially when he saw the ease with which they conqured their adversaries. So much so that he ordered the Bounties mast ,timbers and cordage be brought ashore to add to the settlement. That was the final straw and the concensus of the majority of the men was to leave the Island immedietly. It must be remembered that many of the Bounties crew were not actually mutineers and therefore had no need for hiding places. In the face of this challenge Christian, as delegated head, chose to go with the majority, however it was decided that those loyal to himself would keep the ship after it's returning once again to Tahiti. Those who were innocent of implication in the mutiny, along with those disposed to taking their chances would remain on the Island, along with half the arms, ammunition and ships supplies. Incidently two native Tubuains Oha and Titahiti , a chief and his nephew, were taken off the Island , perhaps because they had such dealings with the mutineers that meant it would not be safe for them to remain
And so for the third and as it proved final time the Bounty returned Tahiti. It was Christians intention to stay for three days, however the night after those who wished it were ferried ashore along with their supplies, the Bounty slipped anchor and silently left Matavani bay . It was the last time that the Bounty would be seen afloat.
On board the Bounty remained nine mutineers , the remnant of the forty five who originally left Spithead those many months ago.
Blighs description of them reads as follows [ minus Adams of whom we have already heard]
Fletcher Christian , Masters Mate, 24 years of age, 5ft 9' high, very dark brown complexion, dark brown hair, strong made, a star tattooed on his left breast.

Edward Young , Midshipman, aged 22 years, 5ft 8' high, dark complexion; strong, lost several of his fore teeth, tattooed, a heart and a dart through it.

William brown , Gardener, aged 27, 5ft 8' high, fair complexion, dark brown hair, slender made, a remarkable scar on one of his cheeks.

John Mills , Gunner's mate, aged 40, 5ft 10' high, fair complexion, light brown hair, strong made and raw boned.

William McCoy , Able Seamen, aged 21, 5ft 6' high, light brown hair, strong made, a scar where he has been stabbed through the belly, a small scar under the chin, is tattooed in different parts.

Mathew Quintal , Able Seaman, aged 21, 5ft 5' high, light-brown hair, strong made, very much tattooed.

John Williams, Able Seaman, aged 25, 5ft 5' high, dark complexion, black hair, slender made, has a scar on the back part of his head, is tattooed, a native of Guernsey, speaks French .

Isaac Martin, Able Seaman , aged 30, 5ft 11' high, sallow complexion, short brown hair, raw boned, tattoed with a scar on his left breast .

The Polynesian Men
Oha
Titahiti
Menalee
Timoa
Nehow

The Tahitian Women
Mauatua [ Christians Isabella]
Mary
Sarah
Susannah
Jenny
Vahineatua
Mareva
Pashotu
Prudence
Paurai
Toofaiti
Teatuahitea
And mary's baby Sarah.
In total eight mutineers, six polynesian men, twelve Tahitian women, a baby girl, and hundreds of animals.
A desicion needed to be made, out of the hundreds of Island near and far , what was to be the criteria that offered a future for this band of fugitives. While pondering , the seriously undermanned ship put in briefly to the Island of Rarotonga some 700 miles south-west of Tahiti. The Island it'self seemed a dream come true, it's size , it's ability to sustain the Bounty community with the necessities of life and it's spectacular beauty, all seemed to make this place an Ideal potential home . However the Polynesians had long ago come to the same conclusions. Rarotonga was densely populated. Christian quickly realised that with his diminished crew their ability to defend themselves in the likelyhood of any hostilities was greatly reduced. Sadly they sailed away from Rarotonga.
Christian needed to find an unpopulated Island, one that would be hard for any pursuers to land, and therefore would be ignored by them as they searched for the mutineers hiding place . It also had to be far enough away from Polynesian inhabitants, word of ' the lost white tribe,' would very quickly bring unwanted guests or hostile aggresors. either of which would eventually lead to their discovery by the admiralty..
While searching Blighs maps and books for inspiration, Christian came across an Island described in 'Hawkesworths Voyages' , albeit far away, that might just fit this purpose, unihabited, difficult access, signs of fertility, named after the sailor who first sighted her, Pitcairns island.
Bounty set her course and began the last leg of her journey ,this journey was also to prove the last one she would ever make.
The charts showed that pitcairn Island lay 3000 miles to the west of her current position . A voyage of this magnitude, with a ship the size of the Bounty and a crew the size of the mutineers was an accomplishment i it'self.
It proved a hard voyage, especially as the ship had recourse to go much farther south then the tahitians aboard her had ever experienced before. Also the degree in error of the clocks and navigational devices that they were using would make pinpointing an Island as small as Pitcairn a very difficult task indeed. Almost two months of sailing and still Pictairn eluded them.
It was just when they were nearly decided to give up and return to Tahiti, that a lump in the ocean was sighted in the far distance.
Pitcairn Island was infact over 200 miles distant from it's position on the charts, that fact made it the near ideal hiding place, who could possibly follow them here?
Pitcairn Island itself must have presented a stark and foreboding appearence. The pounding seas broke insessently on the wall of rock that surrounded her. Cliffs rising to nearly 1000 feet seemed to protect her from any attempt to gain access to the heavily forested interior. However one small rocky bay appeared to offer some hope of entry. It would be difficult, only a ships boat could hope to chance it , and that boat could only attempt it with precision timing aided by calm seas. Rather than put them off this degree of danger must have only added to the Islands suitability.
On the third day after anchoring off ' Bounty bay', an opportunity presented itself, during the calm Christian, Brown, Williams , McKoy and three of the Tahitians attempted, and then made a landing. Because the seas were by then building the Bounty decided to stan out to sea, and returned the second day. When the landing party returned to ship reports were most favourable. The Island abounded in cocoa-nuts and sea fowl, plaintans and bread fruit . Over half of it's acreage seemed able to be cultivated in some or another. The sea-weed on the shore line could be used as fertizer. And although having no fresh water source it'self, it's jagged and pitted volcanic rock facilitated many fresh water pools, and ponds, that regularaly refilled with water from the heavens.
There is a temptation to write ones own account of what happened to the settlers in the years that followed, perhaps I could construct a more entertaining and lurid version, however I will leave that telling in the hands of Admiral Beechey who arrived at Pitcairn on Dec 20 1825.
'Where every thing that could be of utility was landed, and where it was agreed to destroy the ship, either by running her ashore, or burning her. Christian, Adams, and the majority, were for the former expedient, but while they went to the fore-part of the ship ............................................................................................................................................................................
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Young and Adams were now the sole survivors out of the fifteen men that had landed upon the Island. Young , being of a literate nature and respectable family proceeded to teach the semi- literate and certainly un-schooled Adams how to read and write. The only materials they had with them were the Holy Scriptures and the book of common prayer which had been removed from the Bounty before she went down. However their partnership in governence of the Island was not to last , and young who suffered from severe asthma died only a year after the death of Quintal.
John Adams, of the fifteen men that had landed on the Island was now the sole survivor. Alone with the horror of the preceding events, alone with his nature and the sum total of his past experiences. But not alone on the Island, there were the last nine remaining Tahitian Women and the twenty children that between them the mutineers had fathered during their short period as masters of Pitcairn. Up until this time the actions and outcomes on the Island had been moved and shaped for the most part by the human players involved. It was now to witness the hand of God.
A period of peace albeit aimless peace, now decended upon the Island, however the instruction started by Young does not seem to have been extended by Adams. It seems that Adams began to seriously engage in a new partnership, that of the alcohol of the Ti-root. No doubt in an attempt to escape the bloody memories of the past and to dim his conscience in the face of the duties of the present. It might be well to dwell on the condition of the children on the Island. They would have been born into this nightmare, and it cannot be doubted that their condition would have been of the most wretched and barbarous nature, as wild any ferral children inhabiting the slums, on the margins of civilisation. Fatherless, loveless and Godless. Their only hope a semi literate, alcoholic, murderer and mutineer of an able-seamen who himself had been orphaned and abandoned some thirty six years earlier.
At the age of thirty three , the good lord deemed that the sinner John Adams was 'ripe for resurection'. The age is significant , perhaps, because it was the age our Lord himself rose from the dead.
It seems that Adams recieved a series of two dreams, first from the angel Gabrial and second from the arch angel Michael.. He later recounted, ' I had a dream that changed my life. There seemed to be standing beside me an angel who spoke to warn me, warning me of my past life, and then he called me to repent and go down and teach the children in the way of Christ'. In these dreams he was presented in vivid colour his past transgessions and the awful nature of the punishment that awaited him.
The true state of his soul as God sees it was being visited on adams in an act of divine mercy Not only his sins of the past but the consequences of those sins in the future. He was being given a glimpse into the book of life, a book whose contents when opened on the day of judgement would decide his souls final destination.
Rev20;12 And I saw the dead , small and great stand before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according their works.
The sea of blackness that swept over him must have felt like night seeping into his very being , however he would later understand it was dawn breaking, he was the recipient of an illumination designed to purify his attatchment to his sins. It was the begining of the dark night of the soul.