20. Not Only Was Bligh Not a Cruel Captain, He Was Actually a Conscientious One
Another way in which William Bligh was better than most ship captains of his day is that, unlike many of his peers, he did not neglect his crews’ wellbeing. Bligh was not full of the warm and fuzzies, but he nonetheless felt a keen sense of duty and responsibility towards those under his command, and invested significant time and effort to keep his ship’s company healthy. For example, he organized the shifts aboard his ship to ensure that the men got plenty of rest, and oversaw a daily exercise regimen to keep them fit.
Bligh also saw to it that his crew got as highly nutritious a diet as was possible under the circumstances. That his men eventually mutinied had little to with unbearable conditions or an impossibly awful captain. The mutiny aboard HMS Bounty came about because, after an extremely long journey, the men had spent several weeks on leave in the tropical island paradise of Tahiti. There, they had relaxed, let down their hair, and partied it up heartily with local women. The desire to keep the party going, rather than excessive oppression by an exceptionally mean captain, is what caused the mutiny.
