Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/418
The mutineers led by Christian had left some of the crew at Tahiti before taking up their own abode at Pitcairn Island, and of those left at Tahiti several were taken to England, and three were tried and executed. Bligh was again sent to Tahiti, and he safely transported the coveted bread-fruit to its new home in the West. He was chosen to succeed King as Governor. He had friends who must have credited him with some good qualities, but he wanted qualifications for governing others, and his language betrayed that he was unable to govern himself.
Dr. Lang, whether carelessly ignorant, or misrepresenting the instructions to King, which commanded him to remedy the evils caused by traffic in spirits, has stated that the "breaking up of the monstrous system" was specially enjoined upon Bligh. The fact was that King had so effectually checked the traffic by officers, civil and military, that the clause in King's instructions which censured their entering into the "most unwarrantable traffic" was withdrawn from those issued to Bligh. It was no longer needed. The injunction to restrain the general traffic, and to put in force similar measures to those adopted by King, was renewed. Bligh published a General Order on the subject (Feb. 1807). Lord Castlereagh (31st Dec. 1807) approved of Bligh's proceedings.
Some writers have accepted, without investigation, the idea that Bligh's deposition was due to his determination to interfere with the profits made by the officers of the
part in the mutiny left the vessel. Thence Christian sailed to Pitcairn Island, where after twenty years the descendants of the mutineers were found. He destroyed the Bounty after arriving there. The strange colony which Christian founded was removed to Tahiti in 1830, where crimes unknown in Pitcairn Island distracted them, and they returned to their old home. In 1856 they were removed to Norfolk Island as an act of kindness, but the love of their native land was stronger than any inducement to cultivate Norfolk Island and form a British community. Listless and ill-adapted for the struggle of European life, some of them went back to their island of tropical fruits and indolence. The original mutineers had quarrelled with Tahitians whom they took to the island; and Christian and others were killed. Only two, Young and Adams, were left with twelve Tahitian women and some children after the other men of both races had been killed. When Young also died Adams was left to guide the natives and the children of the mutineers. He taught them from a Prayer Book, and when found after lapse of years the little flock were decorous and earnest in their religious services.