ngland, their own
lives would pay the penalty of their crime, and therefore they
determined to spend the rest of their days on some one of the numerous
islands scattered in groups throughout the South Seas.

But as they had begun their course by an act which they knew to be
wrong, it was not likely that their future would be happy and
prosperous; the sweet flowers of peace and content do not spring from
the bitter root of sin, "neither do men gather grapes of thorns nor figs
of thistles."

Thus we need not wonder that trouble and dissension seemed to follow
everywhere the ill-fated crew of the _Bounty_. They quarrelled and
fought with the natives of the first island which they chose for an
asylum; they disputed among themselves, suspecting and hating each
other, as partners in sin most often do. The hearts of the leaders were
full of fear also as they thought of the laws which they had broken, and
of the fate which would be theirs should their captain reach England,
and a ship be sent out to capture them.

At last the mutineers sailed for the Island of Tahiti, where they knew
that the inhabitants were well-disposed and gentle, and would be pleased
to welcome the white man to live among them. Fletcher Christian,
however, could not rest; he had been the leader in the mutiny, he knew
that he would be sought for, and that if found he must die, and die
covered with disgrace.

Therefore he determined to seek out Pitcairn's Island, of the discovery
of which he had heard, and there pass the remainder of his miserable
life. Eight of his comrades decided to go with him, the rest remaining
at Tahiti, and, as we have seen, some of the Tahitian men and women
agreed to make the voyage with them, and join in the new settlement.

[Illustration: Landing of the Mutineers on Pitcairn's Island. (Page 99.)]

After long seeking, after cruising backwards and forwards for many days
in the sailless and shoreless ocean, the island that they sought was
seen standing high above a line of white waves, and after much
difficulty the _Bounty_ was anchored, and her boat sent on shore with
some of her crew.

Everything of value on board was taken to the island, even the iron-work
of the ship itself being removed, and when the _Bounty_ was reduced to
an empty and useless hulk, she was set on fire and burnt to the
water-edge, that no passing ship might see any trace of inhabitants on
the lonely island where these unhappy men sought to hide themsel