City Libraries, City of Gold Coast

The Bounty experiment

eng

videorecording

The Bounty experiment

videorecording

48

In 1789, when first mate Fletcher Christian led a mutiny against Captain Bligh, he set him adrift from the Bounty near Tonga, leaving Bligh and his loyal followers to fend for themselves in the wide unchartered waters of the South Pacific Ocean. They eventually settled on the small, rocky island of Pitcairn, a speck in the ocean that lies between Tahiti and Easter Island, on 23 January, 1790. When an American whaler discovered the island 18 years later, eight of the nine mutineers had already died, either by murder, suicide or disease. However, the population continued to grow and by the 1850s it was straining Pitcairn's resources. So in 1856 194 people were moved to Norfolk Island, over 4,000 kms to the east, but within five years six of the families returned. Today about 50 people live on Pitcairn Island, most of whom are direct descendants of those six families.They continue to live the same simple, secluded lives of their forebears. The only way to visit the island is by ship, but dangerous conditions sometimes prevent landings. At the time this film was made, communication with the outside world was limited to radio and the visit by supply ships three times a year

animation