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    "The Bounty"
    From: Doug Royer
    Date: 2004 May 27, 10:27 -0700

    This is a very good read.I recommend it to listmembers not for the
    navigation info included but for the background info of the affair.
    It delves mostly into the personnal histories,family connections,conditions
    of the times and court martial proceedings of the day.
    A few navigation procedures,equipement and results are discussed.
    Mainly while on Otihiate(Tahiti) when the quartermaster allowed the ship's
    Keller Chrono to wind down(he received 18 lashes for this).It didn't quite
    stop and Bligh and another officer had to rerate it.they did this by
    simultanious observations of the noon transit and early the next morning the
    transit of a planet.
    As for the equipement allowed Bligh and the launch on the 3,100 mi journey
    after the mutiny all involved state they received:
    Bligh's personnal octant,a good ship's compass,all the astronomical
    publications needed to reduce sights and a damaged,unreliable sextant Master
    Frye smuggled on board.There is also a good paragraph of Mr. Christian's
    navigation while in search of Pitcairn.
    There are a few suprises(at least to me)about this affair and its
    aftermath.I won't go into them because they spice up the whole story and
    actually make the book worthwhile reading.I will not state the reason given
    for the mutiny as it is intwined through out the story.
    Peter Heywood was involved in the mutiny but was connected politically and
    by marrage and family ties to both Lord Hoods and Lord Howe.His family used
    this influence and hired a respected barrister(Malcolm Graham)to position
    the court martial board into the verdict it gave on his involvement and the
    subsequent royal pardon.Much as O.J. Simpson did in his actuittal.
    It was Heywood's family as much as Christian's family who spread the rumors
    to discredit Bligh.
    Bligh was shown as one of the most progressive naval officers in the english
    navy at the time.In his victualating of the vessels,his handleing of
    diplomecy,his restricted use of corporal punishments and the health of the
    men under his command.He was human and had his faults.Berateing his officers
    in front of all at any time for any offense,saving the victuals for a "rainy
    day" while the men were on restricted rations for extended time.
    He was a highly decorated officer in his later carreer.He served with
    distiction under Lord Nelson at Copenhagen and was rewarded and recognised
    by both Nelson and the Admiralty for his actions.
    An interesting side note:
    During the Copenhagen confrontation The English Admiral hoisted the signal
    to withdraw.Lord Nelson stated he didn't see the Admiral's  signal and
    charged ahead,directly supported by Bligh's vessel,and won a great
    victory.At the hearing on this matter it was shown Lord Nelson placed the
    scope to his blind eye thus he didn't see the signal.
    Bligh ended his carreer as a Rear Admiral of the Line.He was directly
    involed in 3 seperate mutinies.Bounty,Nore and New S. Wales.
    Peter Heywood ended his carreer as a decorated Post Captain.
    The book explains about the discovery and stories of all the people on
    Pitcairn Island.Some interesting info in this part of the story.
    I recommend reading this book if you have the time and/or interest.
    
    
    

       
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