The Fortunate Adversities of William BlighWilliam Bligh is best remembered for the 1789 mutiny on the Bounty. He lived to repeat the experience. In 1797 mutineers took over his ship, Director. A little more than ten years later, when he was the governor of the British colony in Australia, the New South Wales Corps rebelled and kept Bligh locked in Government House for over a year. Yet when the man died in 1817 at age 63, he was William Bligh, esquire, Fellow of the Royal Society and Vice-Admiral of the White in the British Navy. How was it possible for someone who was in serious difficulty so often to rise as far as he did? If ever there was a person who learned to profit from adversity, it was William Bligh. |
Contents
Beginnings | 13 |
The Bounty | 31 |
Double Return of a Tarnished Hero | 63 |
Copyright | |
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action actually admiral Admiralty Adventure Bay appointment arrived assignment Atkins Australia battle became began behavior Bounty Bounty's breadfruit voyage British Camden Campbell Cape Captain Bligh career century Channel Fleet charges charts Christian colony colony's command convicts Cook Cook's court court-martial crew Despite Director Duncan Dutch duty early Edward Elizabeth emancipist Endeavour Straits England especially expedition Fletcher Christian Flinders former friends Fryer governor Heywood Ibid Iddeah island John Macarthur Johnston JRAHS judge advocate King large number letter lieutenant London Lord major Manners-Sutton master midshipman month mutiny natives naval officer navy needed Nelson Nepean North Sea Parramatta patron Perhaps person Pomare Pomare's Porpoise port post-captain problem Putland rebellion rebels received remained result role Safe sail seaman secretary sheep ship ship's shore Short Sir Joseph Banks skill South Wales Corps Sydney Tahiti Tahitian took trial vessel West Indies William Bligh