itish Government is sure to send out to see what
has become of us. My notion is that we should bear away to the
south'ard, far out of the usual track of ships, find out some
uninhabited and suitable island, and establish ourselves thereon?"

"What! without wives, or sisters, or mothers, or grandmothers, to say
nothin' o' mothers-in-law, to cook our victuals an' look after our
shirt-buttons?" said Isaac Martin, who, having been detained against his
will, had become lugubriously, or recklessly, facetious, and was
stimulated to a sort of fierce hilarity by his glass of rum.

"You're right, Martin," said Brown, the assistant botanist, "we couldn't
get along without wives, so I vote that we go back to Otaheite, get
married, every man of us, an' ho! for the South Pole. The British
cruisers would never find us there."

There was a general laugh at this sally, but gravity returned almost
instantly to every face, for they were in no humour just then for
jesting. It is probable that each man began to realise the dreadful
nature of his position as an outlaw whose life was forfeited to his
country, and who could never more hope to tread the shores of Old
England, or look upon the faces of kindred or friends. In such
circumstances men sometimes try to hide their true feelings under a veil
of recklessness or forced mirth, but seldom succeed in the attempt.

"No man in his senses would go back to Otaheite--at least not to stay
there," said John Adams, gravely; "it's the first place they will send
to look for us."

"What's the odds?" growled one of the seamen. "They won't look there
for us for a long time to come, unless Cap'n Bligh borrows a pair of
wings from an albatross, an' goes home as the crow flies."

At this point John Mills, the gunner's mate, a man of about forty,
cleared his throat and gave it as his opinion that they should not go
back to Otaheite, but should leave the matter of their future
destination in the hands of Mr Christian, who was well able to guide
them.

This proposal was heartily backed by Edward Young, midshipman, a stout
young fellow of twenty-two, who was fond of Christian; but there were
one or two dissentient voices, among which were the little middy Peter
Heywood, his brother-officer George Stewart, and James Morrison the
boatswain's mate. These wished to return to Otaheite, but the counsel
of the majority prevailed, and Christian ultimately steered for the
island of Toubouai, which lay som