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chapter 19 The Log of the Bounty (1937) William Bligh 1754–1817 William Bligh had been sailing master aboard the Resolution during Cook’s third voyage and subsequently led an expedition to Tahiti in 1787 to transport breadfruit tree saplings from the South Pacific to the Caribbean. Bligh reached Tahiti aboard the Bounty on October 26, 1788, and remained almost six months, during which time he recorded the following observation of natives surfriding on “paddles.” The Bounty left Tahiti with the supply of breadfruit on April 4, 1789; Fletcher Christian ’s mutiny occurred on April 28. After a historic open-boat trip with eighteen members of his crew, Bligh eventually made it back to England and was promoted to commander. He returned to Tahiti in 1792 to complete his original mission. Matavai Bay,Tahiti November 28, 1788 The heavy surf which has run on the shore for a few days past has given great amusement to many of the Natives, but is such as one would suppose would drown any European. The general plan of this diversion is for a number of them to advance with their paddles to where the Sea begins to break and placing the broad part under the Belly holding the other end with their Arms extended at full length, they turn themselves to the surge and balancing themselves on the Paddles are carried to the shore with the greatest rapidity. As several seas follow each other they have those to encounter on their return, which they do by diving under them with great ease and cleverness. The delight they take in this amusement is beyond anything, and is of the most essential good for them, for even in their largest and best Cannoes they are so subject to accidents of being overturned that their lives depend on their swimming and habituing themselves to remain long in the Water. They also practise with small Cannoes in these high surfs, and it is seldom that any of them get overturned or filled. 77 ...

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