What links the survivors of the whale ship ESSEX to the mutineers of Bligh’s BOUNTY?

On reading, “The Pitcairners” by R.B Nicolson (1965)* I discovered a connection between the wreck of the whale ship “Essex” (inspiration for Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”) and the mutineers from HMS BOUNTY. These must surely be two of the greatest true-life adventure/survival stories ever.

Having cast Captain Bligh adrift in a small boat, Fletcher Christian and his fellow mutineers sailed 7,800 miles** in search of an island to live on. Pitcairn’s Island was where they settled (1790), married their Tahitian wives and raised their families. By 1800, after the murders of all the other mutineers, and Ned Young’s death from asthma, only Alexander Smith (known as John Adams) remained. Then, from 1806 onward, a new generation of islanders was born (from the sons and daughters of the original mutineers). By the early 1820s there were 40 descendants of the seamen and their Polynesian wives.

At the same time, the new British colony of New South Wales was facing famine and starvation.  Having sailed from London to Sydney as master of the SURRY (310 ton merchantman), Captain Thomas Raine decided to assist the situation by sailing to Valparaiso, Chile, by picking up a cargo of wheat for the young colony. On departing Sydney, he was given a consignment of books and seeds to deliver to the islanders on Pitcairn.

After arriving in Valparaiso and loading the wheat, Captain Raine was ready to head back to Sydney (March 1821) when he encountered Captain George Pollard and one of his crewmen who had survived the wreck of the Nantucket whale ship ESSEX.

“From Captain Pollard himself, Raine heard how the ESSEX has been wrecked by a whale ‘about 80 or 90 feet long’” – how, with seven of his crew, he had happened upon Ducie Island where he had left three of his men. Sailing east, Pollard then described how he and the other survivor had eaten their other three companions to keep themselves alive***.

Once back aboard SURRY, Captain Raine, heading for Pitcairn’s Island, decided to detour and pick up the three men from Ducie Island, if they were still alive but, on searching, he could find no trace of them. However, on 8 April, Elizabeth Island was sighted and three men were seen on the beach. There were indeed the survivors from the ESSEX left behind by Captain Pollard.

Three days later, after rescuing the survivors, the SURRY arrived at Pitcairn’s Island. With no natural harbour and a sea running, the visitors were met by a man named Quintal (son of Matthew Quintal) who swam out to meet them and direct them safely to the beach. Once on shore, the British party were greeted and feasted while the Captain delivered the books and seeds be was carrying.

During the visit, John Adams related the facts of the BOUNTY mutiny to the ship’s doctor claiming it was caused when “the crew became infatuated with the females and disgusted with Bligh’s tyranny”.

In 1856, the descendants of the Bounty Mutineers were re-settled on Norfolk Island. Their names can be seen on the stones in the graveyard.

On 12 April 1821, Captain Raine of the SURRY sailed from Pitcairn with the three whalemen from the wreck of the ESSEX aboard her. Of the three men, one made his way to London while the other two returned to the United States.

The encounter is described by Nicholson in a few short paragraphs but the fact two of the greatest real-life survival and adventure stories had a connection, I find quite remarkable.

Note: The wreck of the whale ship “Essex” out of Nantucket – stove by a massive white whale – was the true story that inspired Herman Melville’s classic tale: MOBY DICK. It was recently released as a feature movie “The Heart of the Sea”.

While Melville’s story is pure fiction, the movie “The Heart of the Sea” endeavours to portray the truth and, towards the end, reveals three survivors left on what was thought to be Ducie Island. The name of the ship and the captain who picked them up is omitted. That ship was the SURRY captained by Captain Raine.

It would also appear from Nicolson’s account, that is was Captain Pollard, and not Owen Chase (as credited in the movie), who arranged for the three whalemen to be picked up.

* “The Pitcainers” by R.B. Nicolson (first published 1965) is now available on Amazon in paperback.

**H.E. Maude in 1958 wrote that after 9 months aboard BOUNTY: “Christian and his followers…had criss-crossed the Pacific three times…sailing over 7,800 miles from the day they left Bligh and Tofua.” 

While Bligh's navigation was a remarkable achievement, it is evident, Fletcher Christian was also a skilled seamen.

*** Thanks to Chris Double for this interesting snippet: "And one of the crew of the Essex, Owen Coffin, was a descendant of the same Coffin family as Philip Cook Coffin that ended up shipwrecked on the Acadia and the origin of the Coffin surname on Pitcairn. Owen was unfortunately eaten when the Essex survivors ran out of food" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Coffin

Gravestones reveal a rich and dark history on Norfolk Island

The old gravestones on Norfolk Island read like pages of a book providing a cameo of a life long gone. Overlooking the raging Pacific Ocean, the cemetery separated the deceased from their homeland far-away. 

Here, on the island, many soldiers', sailors' and First Fleet settlers' were buried from the late 1700s until today.
Stephen Smith (40 yrs) was murdered by the convicts during a mutiny in the penitentiary. The convicts were not buried here.

Charles Turner (20 yrs) drowned when he fell from his boat while fishing. Alfred Baldock drowned when crossing the bar. Baird and Bergin also drowned. 

George Hale (47 yrs) – commander of the whaling ship GENERAL BOYD was obviously a staunch Freemason. He died of typhoid. 

Thomas York and James Neale – soldiers - were shot by accident. Michael Mansfield (22 yrs) died when he fell from his horse. Soldiers from various regiments were in their early 20s when they died.

 
Plus there are the numerous headstones bearing the names of the descendants of the mutineers of the BOUNTY who were transported from Pitcairn Island to Norfolk Island in the mid 1800s (e.g. Peggy - wife of Fletcher Christian – but not the original).

Dozens, if not hundreds of epitaphs bear the surname of mutineers - Christian, Adams, Nobbs, McCoy and Quintal. They now stand in proud defiance of British authority.

Murderers’ mound, near the sea and outside the bounds of the consecrated ground is where the guilty men (and a few innocents) were buried after being hung from the gallows.

Imagine how many stories are buried here.

What really happened to the BOUNTY Mutineers on Pitcairn

HMS Bounty - replica

While Bligh’s story has been well documented and, in some opinions whitewashed, so has the life of Fletcher Christian who, with his cohorts and a bunch of Tahitian men and a dozen revolutionary Ma'ohi women sailed with Christian on BOUNTY and settled on Pitcairn Island.

But after that, what really happened to the BOUNTY survivors? What really happened to the ship itself? Who set fire to it? 

Sinking of the Bounty replica

And how did the mutineers die for they did not magically disappear from Pitcairn Island?

What secrets were held by the women? 

What bloodthirsty brutal acts they were subjected to and, later what brutality were perpetrated by them?

‘Mrs Christian – BOUNTY Mutineer’ by Glynn Christian is an outstanding book for its disturbing revelations about the mystery surrounding the fate of HMS BOUNTY and for the truths and poignant story of the BOUNTY mutineers, which in so many cases has been glossed over.

The true story, penned by Glynn Christian (descendant of Fletcher and Mauatua, is a lengthy read and I found the first part, about the time on Tahiti and the islands, including the raw sex scenes, less engaging. But once the party landed on Pitcairn the story was totally engrossing.

Then, from the time an American ship called at Pitcairn (1808) and discovered this unusual group of mainly half-cast individuals along with one white man, the story takes an about face. Transported back to Tahiti by well-meaning missionaries, many of the Pitcairn islanders died of modern diseases and after less then half a year, the survivors begged to be shipped back to Pitcairn.

In 1856, the descendants of those people were transferred to Norfolk Island, where they settled and still live today. Names, like Christian, Quintall, Nobbs, Young and Adams are engraved on dozens of gravestones in the cemetery there.

Grave of wife of a descendant of Fletcher Christian

Graves on Norfolk Island - many bearing the names of the descendants of the mutineers

   Mauatua (Mrs Christian) was a tall, young and beautiful young south sea islander when the story began. She was also brave, intelligent and a born leader. She eventually died on Pitcairn aged in her 80s – bent and toothless. What she achieved for her people was remarkable.

'Mrs Christian' is a mind-blowing, eye-opener to truths that were held secret for decades. It is a long book, of almost 600 pages, but if you enjoy history and seek to unravel the truth, I thoroughly recommend it.

Bounty replica (from Wikipedia)

As a post script to this blog entry, I have recently acquired a copy of THE PITCAIRNERS by Robert B. Nicholson (1965).

I believe this will shed further light on the story and substantiate much of what I have written here.

Pics: courtesy of Wikipedia.

Marlon Brando great performance as Fletcher Christian in MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY

Just watched MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1962) Marlon Brando/Travor Howard version (Amazon $9.16 – 2 x DVDs).

For me this was a great movie, and Marlon Brando’s performance as Fletcher Christian far out-shone that of Mel Gibson playing the same role.

Apart from the acting, the 2nd disc has the story of the replica ship which was built in the traditional manner for MGM. It was certainly not a cardboard cut-out but a slightly larger version of the actual BOUNTY constructed from original plans bought from the Admiralty.

The ship’s own story from the keel up, to its voyage across the Pacific, to the making of the film and to its later trials and tribulations leading to it’s eventual restoration, are documented.
Recommended.