y obtained from both these persons,
will not, I think, be unwelcome to my readers; and those who are
unacquainted with the rise of this interesting colony, will perhaps find
pleasure in a brief account of it.

The English government appreciating the usefulness of the bread-fruit
tree, and desirous of introducing it into the West-Indian colonies, in
the year 1787, commissioned the ship Bounty, under the command of
Lieutenant Bligh, who had already served as master under Captain Cook,
to convey a cargo of these young trees from the South Sea Islands, to
the West Indies. Forty-six men formed the ship's complement.

After an excessively difficult voyage, during which he had vainly
endeavoured, for thirty days, to double Cape Horn, and at length,
yielding to necessity, had effected his passage by the Cape of Good
Hope, he reached Tahaiti in safety in October 1788.

Although the good-natured Tahaitians seem to have given great
assistance, five months were occupied in lading the vessel; perhaps
because Lieutenant Bligh and his crew found their station very
agreeable. During this period the crew lived in the greatest harmony
with the natives, especially the women; and this may probably afford a
key to the subsequent fate of Bligh.

On the fourth of April 1789, he sailed from Tahaiti, touched at one of
the Friendly Islands to replace such of the young plants as had been
destroyed, and on the 27th of the same month continued his course,
cheered by the conviction of his ability to execute his commission, and
to become the benefactor of the West Indies, by extending to them one of
the greatest blessings bestowed by nature on her favourite children.

But it was otherwise written in the book of Fate. The remorseless
severity with which he treated those under his command,--the insults he
offered them, having subjected even his mate, Christian Fletcher, to
corporal chastisement, combined with the recollection of the pleasant
time spent in Tahaiti, produced a conspiracy of some of the crew, headed
by Fletcher, to seize on the ship, remove from it the commander and his
adherents, and, renouncing England for ever, to return to Tahaiti, and
spend there the remainder of their lives in ease and enjoyment.

The conspirators kept their plan so profoundly secret, that neither
Bligh nor any of those who remained faithful to him, imbibed the least
suspicion of the criminal project, which was put in execution at sunrise
on the 28th of April.