Mutiny on the Bounty

William Bligh’s log and journal, 1787-1789

Mutiny on the Bounty

Bligh’s log and journal is the only record written at the time of the mutiny and on the 6710-kilometre longboat voyage to Timor on which Bligh displayed remarkable leadership qualities. Bligh shared the seven-metre longboat with eighteen men and had to ration carefully his pittance of food over the forty-seven days.

In the longboat, he continued to keep his log and journal. He wrote it up when the weather permitted and kept it secure and dry. Although the entries after 28 April need to be read very much as Bligh preparing his defence, the entries prior to that date, when Bligh had no inkling of what was to come, are very different. They provide a view of the voyage and its events not distorted by the events of the mutiny and the need for justifications. Recent detailed examination of the pages by conservation experts has revealed that some of the pages after the mutiny have been removed and new pages written by Bligh inserted.
Display item Mutiny on the Bounty

 

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