try our fortune at such
a hazard, for, upon returning there and remaining till the
latter end of August, in which time a fort was almost built,
but nothing could be effected; and as the natives could not be
brought to friendly terms, and with whom we had many
skirmishes, and narrow escapes from being cut off by them,
and, what was still worse, internal broils and
discontent,--these things determined part of the people to
leave the island and go to Taheite, which was carried by a
majority of votes.

'This being carried into execution on the 22nd September, and
having anchored in Matavai bay, the next morning my messmate
(Mr. Stewart) and I went on shore, to the house of an old
landed proprietor, our former friend; and being now set free
from a lawless crew, determined to remain as much apart from
them as possible, and wait patiently for the arrival of a
ship. Fourteen more of the _Bounty's_ people came likewise on
shore, and Mr. Christian and eight men went away with the
ship, but God knows whither. Whilst we remained here, we were
treated by our kind and friendly natives with a generosity and
humanity almost unparalleled, and such as we could hardly have
expected from the most civilized people.

'To be brief--having remained here till the latter end of
March, 1791, on the 26th of that month, his Majesty's ship
_Pandora_ arrived, and had scarcely anchored, when my messmate
and I went on board and made ourselves known; and having
learnt from one of the natives who had been off in a canoe,
that our former messmate Mr. Hayward, now promoted to the rank
of lieutenant, was on board, we asked for him, supposing he
might prove the assertions of our innocence. But he (like all
worldlings when raised a little in life) received us very
coolly, and pretended ignorance of our affairs; yet formerly,
he and I were bound in brotherly love and friendship.
Appearances being so much against us, we were ordered to be
put in irons, and looked upon--oh, infernal words!--as
_piratical villains_. A rebuff so severe as this was, to a
person unused to troubles, would perhaps have been
insupportable, but to me, who had now been long inured to the
frowns of fortune, and feeling myself supported by an inward
consciousness of not deserving it, it was re