Episode 59: Mutiny on the Bounty


Fletcher Christian and the mutineers turn Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 others adrift; 1790 painting by Robert Dodd (Via Wikipedia)
Fletcher Christian and the mutineers turn Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 others adrift from the HMS Bounty. 1790 painting by Robert Dodd. (Via Wikipedia)

April 28 marks the 226th anniversary of the mutiny aboard the HMS Bounty in the South Pacific.

Here are some things you may not have known about the mutiny:

One: The Bounty, under the command of lieutenant William Bligh, was sailing to Tahiti to gather breadfruit to transplant to the West Indies as a food source for slaves.

Two: The 46-man crew was forced to wait five months in Tahiti because the breadfruit plants would not survive the journey until they had matured. The Bounty set sail on April 5, 1788.

Three: Only 19 of the 46 crew took part in the mutiny on April 28, led by master’s mate Fletcher Christian.

Bligh and 18 of the loyal crew members were set adrift in a 23-foot launch, which Bligh navigated more than 3,600 nautical miles over 47 days to the island of Timor, where he reported the mutiny to Dutch officials.

Our question: What was the name of the island that most of the mutineers settled on?

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