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Dentrecasteaux – Voyage a la Recherche de la Perouse.
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Feb. |
after putting Captain Bligh in the boat, Christian the leader of the mutiny, took command of the ship and went to Otaheite, where great part of the crew left her, except Christian, Smith and seven others, who each took wives, and six Otaheitean men servants, and shortly after arrived at the said island, where they ran the ship onshore, and broke her up; this event took place in the year 1790.
'About four years after their arrival (a great jealousy existing) the Otaheiteans secretly revolted and killed every Englishman except himself, whom they severely wounded in the neck with a pistol ball. The same night the widows of the deceased Englishmen arose and put to death the whole of the Otaheiteans, leaving Smith the only man alive upon the island, with eight or nine women and several small children. On his recovery he applied himself to tilling the ground, so that it now produces plenty of yams, cocoa nuts, bananas and plantains; hogs and poultry in abundance. There are now some grown up men and women, children of the mutineers, on the island, the whole population amounting to about thirty five, who acknowledge Smith as father and commander of them all; they all speak English, and have been educated by him, (Captain Folger represents) in a religious and moral way.
'The second mate of the Topaz asserts that Christian the ringleader became insane shortly after their arrival on the island, and threw himself off the rocks into the sea; another died of fever before the massacre of the remaining six took place. The island is badly supplied with water, sufficient only for the present inhabitants, and no anchorage.
'Smith gave to Captain Folger a chronometer made by Kendall, which was taken from him by the Governor of Juan Fernandez.'
Extracted from the log book 29th Sept. 1808.
(Signed) William Fitzmaurice, Lieut.
If this interesting relation rested solely on the faith that is due to Americans, with whom, we say it with regret, truth is not always considered as a moral obligation, we should hesitate in giving it this publicity. The narrative, however, states two facts on which the credibility of the story must stand or fall – the name of the mutineer and the maker of the time-piece; we have taken the trouble to ascertain the truth of both of these facts. Alexander Smith appears on the books of the Bounty as follows: 'Entered 7th Sep. 1787 Ab. Born in London. Aged 20. Run 28th April 1789. One of the mutineers:' and it appears also that the Bounty was actually supplied with a time piece made by Kendall.
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