Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 4]
Christian with eight of the party who now only remaind in the Bounty, continued in their resolution of quitting Otaheite; & having receivd on board her several of the Natives - the greater part Women (of whom a deficiency had before been the chief cause of their quarrels) - they left the Island on the night between the 21st & 22d. of Sepr 1789, & the Ship, in the morning, was last seem from Point Venus, in a North Westerly direction.
The accounts of the Mutineers who were taken, terminate here with regard to her fate of that of her Crew. A report was indeed prevalent among them, that Christian, on the night when he sailed, was heard to declare that he should seek for some uninhabited Island, & settling his party upon it, break up the Ship; but no information of his subsequent proceedings had reached Otaheite & the endeavours of Capt. Edwards to gain intelligence of either the Bounty or her Company, at the numerous Islands which he visited in the Pandora were unattended by any success.
From this period it does not appear that any information respecting Christian or his part, had reachd the Admiralty until the beginning of the year 1809, when a paper was sent home by Sir Sidney Smith the Commander in Chief at the Brazils, of which, & of other papers of later date the following are Copies, tending to establish the fact of a Settlement having been made by Christian on the Island of Pitcairn.
The Briton