The Eventful History of the Mutiny and Piratical Seizure of H.M.S. Bounty: Its Cause and Consequences

Sir John Barrow (1764 - 1848)

The mutiny on the Bounty occurred aboard a British Royal Navy ship on 28 April 1789. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against the commanding officer, William Bligh.

On 4 April 1789, after five months in Tahiti, the Bounty set sail with its breadfruit cargo. On 28 April 1789, some 1,300 miles west of Tahiti, near Tonga, mutiny broke out. From all accounts, Fletcher Christian and several of his followers entered Bligh's cabin, which he always left unlocked, awakened him, and pushed him on deck wearing only his nightshirt, where he was guarded by Christian holding a bayonet. When Bligh entreated with Christian to be reasonable, Christian would only reply, "I am in hell, I am in hell!"

The mutineers ordered Bligh, the ship's master, two midshipmen, the surgeon's mate, and the ship's clerk into Bounty's launch. Several more men voluntarily joined Bligh rather than remaining aboard, as they knew that those who remained on board would be considered de facto mutineers under the Articles of War. (Summary by Wikipedia)

Genre(s): True Crime, Modern (19th C)

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Preface Linda Dodge
00:04:09
Play 01 Ch.1 Part1, 'OTAHEITE' Graeme Dunlop
00:18:43
Play 02 Ch.1 Part2, 'OTAHEITE' Graeme Dunlop
00:33:55
Play 03 Ch. 1 Part3, 'OTAHEITE' Graeme Dunlop
00:25:19
Play 04 Ch. 2, 'THE BREAD-FRUIT' Barry Eads
00:34:34
Play 05 Ch. 3 Part1, 'THE MUTINY' Barry Eads
00:31:52
Play 06 Ch. 3 Part2, 'THE MUTINY' Barry Eads
00:23:07
Play 07 Ch. 4 Part1, 'THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION' hefyd
00:23:10
Play 08 Ch. 4 Part2, 'THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION' hefyd
00:34:30
Play 09 Ch. 4 Part3, 'THE OPEN-BOAT NAVIGATION' hefyd
00:25:14
Play 10 Ch. 5 Part1, 'THE 'PANDORA'' Haylayer Flaga
00:31:01
Play 11 Ch. 5 Part2, 'THE 'PANDORA'' Haylayer Flaga
00:28:45
Play 12 Ch. 5 Part3, 'THE 'PANDORA'' Haylayer Flaga
00:22:43
Play 13 Ch. 6 Part1, 'THE COURT-MARTIAL' Brett W. Downey
00:25:43
Play 14 Ch. 6 Part2, 'THE COURT-MARTIAL' Brett W. Downey
00:37:30
Play 15 Ch. 7 Part1, 'THE KING'S WARRANT' TriciaG
00:33:46
Play 16 Ch. 7 Part2, 'THE KING'S WARRANT' Brett W. Downey
00:21:08
Play 17 Ch. 8 Part1, 'THE LAST OF THE MUTINEERS' Brett W. Downey
00:29:23
Play 18 Ch. 8 Part2, 'THE LAST OF THE MUTINEERS' Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
00:45:55
Play 19 Ch. 8 Part3, 'THE LAST OF THE MUTINEERS' Brett W. Downey
00:24:17
Play 20 Conclusion Denny Sayers (d. 2015)
00:13:04
Play 21 Additional note Denny Sayers (d. 2015)
00:18:38
Play 22 Endnotes Barry Eads
00:42:35