Feb 17, 1788 Home Banks Letters Jun 4, 1788
Revised May 17 2021
Bounty - False Bay C. G. Hope
May 24th. 1788.
Dear Sir.
I arrived here this day with every Man & officer in good health after most tempestuous and severe Weather for these last three months. I had flattered myself I could have accomplished my passage round Cape Horn, and should most certainly have done it had I been one week earlier, but altho no mans exertions could be greater to be there in time I had no sooner got into the latitude of 61° So. than the Winter evidently set in, and notwithstanding all my endeavors for nearly 30 Days, I was obliged to give up at last what was a very Dear point to me indeed, & traverse this immense Sea back rather than hazard altogether the object of the Voyage.
As I am anxious you should be possessed fully of a knwledge of my proceedings I beg your patience to look over a long letter from me.
I left Tenariff on the 10th. Jan'y. and past the Coast of Brasil & Rio de la Plata with good weather, but after that it became changeable with high Winds & some heavy Gales. As I advanced to the southward & finding the season closing fast in upon me I fully determined to loose no time by putting in either at Falklands Islands, or in the Neighbourhood of Terra del Fuego. I therefore carried all possible Sail night and day to make the Coast of the latter, which I did on the 23d of March, a few leagues to the eastward of Streights le Maire. The appearance of the country gave me much happyness that I had determined properly, for the interior parts only were covered with Snow, and I pronounced that Winter had not set in. The Wind now came at South & I could not enter the Streights, I therefore made the most of it and push'd on to double Staten Land, which I did the next day, having past close to New Years Harbour with fair Weather that was sufficiently tempting, after a long Voyage, to benefit by the refreshments it could afford us, but I saw still the appearance of Summer altho the Days short, and knowing well the consequence of delay, I entered the Southern Ocean with a very fresh Gale westerly under low Sail. I got on with as much success as could reasonably be expected untill the 1st. April, when the weather evidently began to change and the Gales became violent with severe Snow & Hail storms and very high seas. I had got at one time to the westward of the meridian of the west entrance of the Streights of Magallen & made sure of my passage, when a most heavy Gale took us from the SW, & in lying to lost all we had got.
I still perservered expecting the winds would moderate, but at last seeing eight of my Men not able to Duty from severe Rheumatisms, two with disloacted shoulders & one with a broken rib, and the rest being but few much harrassed and fatigued from the severity of the weather, the ropes being worked & Sails furl'd with much difficulty from the heavy snow storms, I was obliged to give way, but it was from the following reasons.
That it appeared evidently I had but little chance to accomplish my passage during the time I could possibly stay longer in this Sea.
That to put into Port at such a season and attempt it again, provided I had success was gaining but little time and the chance much against me.
That I had not a moment to spare to make my passage to the Cape of Good Hope and refit so as to secure my getting to Otaheite in time.
That the Ship from being constantly in very high Seas began to be leaky and required carefully to be attended with the pumps, and increased our labour.
That my People now being but ten on whom the hard Duty of furling & reefing principally fell upon, felt much the severity of the weather and were much harrassed and fatigued and might soon fall sick, and in this case failing after all I thereby endangered the grand pursuit of the Voyage, and I became reprehensible having discretionary orders, for which I return you Sir my grateful thanks as I was near sailing with positive directions to go by way of Cape Horn.
That upon the whole, the one amounting the matter to a certainty and the other to a doubt I made my mind up on the first being the only one eligible however it may prove successful.
Under these considerations I bore away on the 22d. of April to the great Joy of every one, & repassed Staten Land the next day. The limits of my track was between 61° & 58°S.
It was a most happy circumstance that the Ship was fitted & rigged to my desire, otherwise I beleive she would have remained off Cape Horn. I have also been obliged to attend & nurse my People with the utmost care, for it has been nearly three months that we have scarce ever been able to have the Hatches open. To remedy this I kept constant fires below & saw regularly their cloaths dryed, so that no one ever came on Deck with wet apparel of any kind. They were always at three watches. I gave them constantly hot breakfasts of ground Wheat and Sugar to sweeten it, & every day at eleven o'Clock a pint of the infusion of Malt at the rate of four gallons of water to one of Malt. One day in the Week I gave them Portable Soup made rich with Krout boiled in it & every other day Pease with a mixture of the former articles. Instead of their full allowance of Salt Meat they had half Flour, so that they lived as well or better than any set of Men that ever went to sea, besides this they had as much Vinegar & Mustard as they could use, and their allowance of water, which is scarce to be named so, was three quarts a day to each Person. With all these advantages and keeping them clean in their Persons & bedding is what I attribute their great good health to. The Rheumatick complaints I could not keep off, and after all my endeavors I beleive that complaint would have laid up most of them up [sic] in the course of another week.
My Passage to this place from the time of my bearing away seems to have indicated I only got away in time for we have been running with a constant Gale of Wind ever since.
I must now Sir beg leave to point out to you my dispatch in my equipment & readyness in Sailing from England.
On the 20 Aug't. I rec'd. my Commiss'n. on the 3'd. Sept'r. the Ship was got out of Dock & Masts shortned. On the 9th October I was ready stored & victualled for 18 Months & a Pilot on board to take me down the River. On the 15 following I rec'd. orders to proceed to Spithead, where from constant bad Weather I did not arrive untill the 4th. November under the Command of Lord Hood. I remained at Spithead with fair Winds untill the 24th. which was 20 Days when His Lordship gave me my final orders dated the 20th. four days before.
From this time unto teh 23d Dec'r. when I sailed it was impossible to get down Channel altho I made two attempts.
I shall now proceed to refit with my utmost exertions and the ship is really much in want of it. Caulking is the principal part except the upper works which is torn to peices by the many seas that have been over us, but upon the whole she is as fine a little ship as ever was at Sea. I have suffered much fatigue, but I always thrive best when I have the most to do and I never was better in my life. I hope to sail from hence in about three weeks & if the weather will admit, without much risk or loss or loss of time, I shall stop at New Zeland & endeavor to get the Flax plant, but I imagine that is not a sufficient object to delay time in my getting to Otaheite as that is now become a serious point.
We have no English Ships here but I am told a Frigate left Table Bay a month since which I imagine was the Vestal. I send this letter to the Bay from whence I hear a Ship is immediately to Sail. I shall write to you on my departure & you may depend Sir of hearing from me from every European Port.
Mr. Brand resides here as Lieut. Governor & has desired me to present his compliments to you.
I have only now Sir to send you my most sincere respects & by leave to subscribe myself
Dear Sir Your most obliged and Very Hmble Servant Wm Bligh
Feb 17, 1788 Home Banks Letters Jun 4, 1788