17. The men found evidence of natives on the island
By Bligh’s reckoning, the island which undoubtedly saved several of the men from dying of starvation left a remaining voyage of 1,300 miles to Timor. He wanted to be on his way as soon as possible, but recognized the need for several of the men to recover their strength. David Nelson, a botanist who sailed with the Bounty for the benefit of Sir Joseph Banks, was one of the weakest, but he regained his strength quickly. Bligh ordered the men not to eat any berries or other vegetation found on the island until Nelson cleared them as safe. The men found several fruits and berries, ignored the Captain’s orders, and several became sick.
It was the sickness which comes from overeating, rather than poisoning, and the men recovered. It was also the first sign of rebelliousness against Bligh since the boat was cast adrift from Bounty. When Bligh announced it was time to depart their sanctuary and promised that there would be similar islands found during the rest of their journey, several of the crew complained that it was too soon to leave. Purcell, the carpenter, was chief among them. There were several encounters between Purcell and Bligh during the remainder of the voyage, among them a near mutiny of the Bounty‘s launch.
