Chasing the Bounty: The Voyages of the Pandora and Matavy

201 Pages·2020·27.329 MB·English

by  Donald A. Maxton

Chasing the Bounty
Also by Donald A. Maxton
The Mutiny on H.M.S. Bounty: A Guide to Nonfiction,
Fiction, Poetry, Films, Articles, and Music (McFarland, 2008)
Edited by Donald A. Maxton and Rolf E. Du Rietz.
By Peter Heywood and Nessy Heywood
Innocent on the Bounty: The Court-Martial and Pardon of
Midshipman Peter Heywood, in Letters (McFarland, 2013)
Chasing the Bounty
The Voyages of the Pandora
and Matavy
Edited by Donald A. Maxton
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina
As Told Through the Narratives of
Edward Edwards, Captain, H.M.S. Pandora
George Hamilton, Surgeon, H.M.S. Pandora
Peter Heywood, Midshipman, H.M.S. Bounty, Prisoner
James Morrison, Boatswain’s Mate, H.M.S. Bounty, Prisoner
David Thomas Renouard, Midshipman, H.M.S. Pandora and Matavy
Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Names: Maxton, Donald A., 1951– editor.
Title: Chasing the Bounty : The Voyages of the Pandora and Matavy /
edited by Donald A. Maxton.
Description: Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc.,
Publishers, 2020 | Includes bibliographical references and index.
♾
Identifiers: LCCN 2020002676 | ISBN 9781476679389 (paperback : acid free paper)
ISBN 9781476639741 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Bounty Mutiny, 1789—History—Sources. | Pandora
(Frigate)—History—Sources. | Matavy (Schooner)—History—Sources. |
Sailors—Great Britain—Correspondence. | Sailors' writings,
English. | Voyages and travels.
Classification: LCC DU20 .C43 2020 | DDC 996.18—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020002676
British Library cataloguing data are available
ISBN (print) 978-1-4766-7938-9
ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4766-3974-1
© 2020 Donald A. Maxton. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
Front cover: “The Long Arm”—H.M.S. Pandora Leaving
Portsmouth—August, 1790 (Paul Garnett, Paul Garnett Studio,
www.paulgarnett.com)
Printed in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
To the memory of my dear friend,
Lee Shepard

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
A Note on the Text 9
Part One. The Bounty Mutineers in Tahiti 13
Part Two. Outward Bound on H.M.S. Pandora 25
Part Three. Capturing the Mutineers 40
Part Four. Searching for Fletcher Christian 64
Part Five. Shipwreck in Torres Strait 96
Part Six. Sailing to the Dutch East Indies 108
Part Seven. Passage to Batavia and England 121
Part Eight. The Unforeseen Voyage of Matavy 143
Appendix 1 157
Appendix 2 165
Appendix 3 171
Glossary 175
Notes 181
Bibliography 183
Index 187
vii

Acknowledgments
This book would not have been possible without the generous assis-
tance, expertise and enthusiasm of the late E. Lee Shepard, vice president for
collections and Sallie and William B. Thalhimer III senior archivist, Virginia
Museum of History & Culture/Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, Vir-
ginia. Lee clarified numerous pages of archaic handwriting. I miss our dis-
cussions and camaraderie.
Special thanks to my wife, Marie Moss Maxton, for managing to find
time from her busy schedule to patiently read, re-read, and proofread the
manuscript.
Many thanks to Rolf E. Du Rietz for his interest, encouragement, com-
ments and suggestions.
I thank the following institutions and people for their assistance: Alex-
ander Library, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey; Inger Sheil,
Project Officer, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney; Georgia
Stratton, Cambridge University Press; Jesse Mann, Drew University Library,
Madison, New Jersey; Scott Ellwood, Grolier Club Library, New York; Mi-
chele Ryan, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville; Kevin Chambers,
National Archives Record Copying, Kew, Richmond; Sigourney Jacks, Na-
tional Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Gina Martin, National Geographic;
Susie Riggs, National Geographic Magazine; Deanna Cronk and Emily Witt,
Document Supply Services, National Library of Australia, Canberra; John
Powell and Lisa Schoblasky, Newberry Library, Special Collections Services,
Chicago; The Old Book Shop, Morristown, New Jersey; Herbert Ford and
Katharine Van Arsdale, Pitcairn Islands Study Center, Pacific Union College,
Angwin, California; Oliver Pollak; Shane Appleby, Queensland Museum;
Philippa Sandall and Ad Long; Bronwyn Searles; Dr. Martin Bellamy, Soci-
ety for Nautical Research, The Mariner’s Mirror, Glasgow; Anne Drayton and
Rosie Olk, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney; Walsh Library, Seton
Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey; Yale Center for British Art, New
Haven, Connecticut. I thank my good feline buddy, Jake, for his steadfast
companionship.
ix