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AUTHENTIC PARTICULARS
Relative to the Loss of
The PANDORA FRIGATE, Capt, EDWARDS.
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The object of the Voyage of this Vessel is so well known as not to requier any elucidation further than may be collected from the subsequent NARRATIVE, which we are fortunately enable to lay before our Readers.
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On the 7th of November, 1790, his Majesty's frigate Pandora, sailed from England in quest of the Pirates who had forcibly seized his Majesty's store-ship, the Bounty, commanded by Lieutenant BLIGH, and after refreshing at Teneriffe and Rio Janeiro, they proceeded towards the Pacific Ocean.
On the 23rd of March they arrived at Otaheite, where, after some difficulty, they secured fourteen out of sixteen of the Pirates that had been left there by the Bounty (the other two having been murdered, either amongst themselves or by the natives) as also a small schooner they had built with the assistance of the natives, with an intention to carry them to India. They had really sailed, but meeting with bad weather, and disagreeing amongst themselves, concerning the abilities of the person they had appointed to command her, had returned to Otaheite some time before the Pandora's arrival.
The Bounty left Otaheite with CHRISTIAN, the Chief, and eight others of the pirates, sometime in September, 1789, after dividing the arms, ammunition, and other small stores equally with the abovementioned pirates; and although the Pandora cruised three of four months on those seas, and examined a great number of islands (several of which were new discoveries) they could not get the least intelligence, either of the Bounty or the remaining Pirates.
From journals kept by the pirates on board the Bounty, it appears, that after forcing Lieut. BLIGH, his officers and men out of the ship, they went to Torbanice, an island in those seas, discovered by Capt. COOKE, where they proposed to settle, but having destroyed the Bread-fruit and other plants that were on board the Bounty, and finding themselves greatly in want of many other necessaries to complete their scheme, they returned to Otaheite to get such articles as they were in want of. On their arrival they told the natives that they had met with Capt. COOKE at an island, where he intended to make a settlement, and had left the Bread-fruit and other plants with him, also Lieut. BLIGH, and other other absentees to assist him in the business he had in hand; and that Capt. COOKE had appointed CHRISTIAN commander of the Bounty and had sent him to Otaheite for more Bread-fruit, plants, hogs, fowls &c. &c.
The natives overjoyed to hear that Capt. COOKE had settled near them, in a short time, supplied them with three hundred hogs, a bull, a cow, and a great quantity of poultry, and other articles; also with some of the natives of both sexes; and with which they returned to Torbanice.
On their arrival, they landed their stock on small islands near the mouth of the harbour, lightened the ship and hauled her opposite to the place, which they proposed to fortify: after making some progress with their fortification, they disagreed amongst themselves, and having frequent skirmishes with the natives, which were generally occasionaed by their depredations and other violences, the work on the fort ceased, and CHRISTIAN, finding he had entirely lost his authority amongst them, proposed that they should consult together, and consider what was best to be done, and that he would put into execution the resolution that was supported by the greatest number of votes. After long consultations amongst themselves, it was at last agreed to relinquish their plan of settling at Torbanice, and to return to Otaheite; and those that chose to stay there, might, and others that chose to stay by the ship, might go where they thought proper. They accordingly proceeded to Otaheite, and separated as before mentioned.
Captain EDWARDS having given up all hopes of finding the remaining Pirates, was returning home by Endeavour Straits, where the Pandora was unfortunately lost, on the reef off New South Wales, on the 29th of August, 1791, in latitude 23. South. Ninety-nine of the people were saved by the boats; thirty four were lost with the ship, amongst whom were four of the Pirates. They went with boats to a small island about three miles from the wreck, where they landed the few articles of privision, &c. &c. they had saved, and immediately returned in search of the people that were missing; but had not the good fortune to find any of them.
Every body was now busily employed fitting the boats for the intended passage to Timor, which occupied them two days, during which time they sent a boat to the wreck: the only articles they got from her was the main top-galland mast (being nearly even with the water edge) and the lightning conductor, which proved very useful, on account of the scarcity of nails.
On the 31st of August, having completed the boats, they launched them and embarked - having been on the following allowance of provisions and water since the loss of the ship to her arrival at Timor: To each man, two ounces of bread, two small glasses of water, and one of wine, the three being nearly equal to half a pint; half an ounce of essence of malt, and half an ounce of portable soup.
After a passage of three days, they touched at Prince of Wales's Islands, in the Straits, and filled every vessel they had that would hold water, which barely amounted to a gallon for each man, after which they proceeded through Endeavour Straits towards Timor, where all the boats arrived between the 16th and 18th of September, without having lost a man, although the allowance of water and provisions was so very small, and they were crouded into four boats, viz. Two small cutters, the long-boat, and pinnace. They had unfortunately parted company with the schooner they took from the pirates (which Capt. EDWARDS had armed and fitted as a tender) off the Navigator's Island. They arrived with the schooner a Samoran, on the Island of Fara, nearly at the same time Capt. EDWARDS did at Timor, after enduring great hardships for want of provisions and water.
On their arrival at Copang, the capital of the Dutch Settlements at Timor, they were treated with the greatest humanity and attention by Governor WANJON, and the other Gentlemen of the place. There they found eight men, a woman, and two children, that had made their escape from Botany Bay in an open six-oared cutter.
These villains imposed on Governor WANJON, by pretending to have been cast away on the coast of New Holland, in a transport bound to Botany Bay; but in a short time having given the settlement some specimen of their former professions, and in a dispute amongst themselves, called each other Convict, Governor WANJON examined them, and finding the story of their being cast away a falsehood, confined them until the 6th of October, when he delivered them to Captain EDWARDS, who had taken a passage with his ship's company, on board of a Dutch ship gound to Batavia, where they waited for a passage to England.
The beginning of last December, Captain EDWARDS had agreed to send 20 of his people home in each of the Company's ships, that sailed first for Europe, and an officer with them, to go with the last division himself, and to take the provisions with him.
Capt. HUNTER, of his Majesty's ship Sirius, lately lost on Norfolk Island, sailed from Batavia about the middle of last October, for England, with his ship's company, on board of a Dutch ship that had been at Botany Bay with provisions, and which was purchased by Gov. PHILLIPS on the account of Government for that purpose.