Page 132 - Reading Mercury

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Mon 18 March
Kingston, Jan 26th
Tuesday evening his Majesty’s ship Providence, Capt. Bligh, with the Assistance
brig, Lieutenant Portlock, arrived here from Otaheite (Tahiti) with the bread-fruit
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plants These vessels sailed from England the 2 August 1791; arrived at Otaheite the
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10 of April following, where they remained till the 19 of July, and having effected
the object of their voyage, left the island in perfect health, and arrived at St. Helena
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the 17 of December, from whence they had only a passage of 27 days here.
This voyage has been so far completed in the short space of 18 months; and it must
afford pleasure and satisfaction to the inhabitants of this part of the world, to learn
that no less than 300 bread-fruit plants have been landed here, in excellent order, for
the purpose of being distributed among the different islands; but our most grateful
thanks and acknowledgments are particularly due to our most gracious and beloved
Sovereign, ever mindful of the wants and necessities of his subjects, planned and
directed this, to us, beneficial undertaking.
The remainder of the plants, amounting to an equal number, are intended for the
island of Jamaica, whither Captain Bligh will proceed in a day or two, and from
thence will return to England. Independent of the bread-fruit, a number of other
valuable plants are brought by Capt. Bligh, some of the most delicious fruits.
Capt. Bligh has on board two men, natives of Otaheite, going to England with him.
Capt. Bligh went out and returned by the Cape of Good Hope. He also, in his return,
called at Timor, and came through heretofore unexplored Strait between New Guinea
and New Holland, which, has been named Providence Straits. This passage is
mentioned to be extremely perilous, and, instead of being as was supposed and laid
down, clear and open, was full of shoals, rocks and small islands, The Providence and
the Assistance were repeatedly in the most imminent danger of being lost, and though
the difference in good sea room might be run in a couple of days, so slow was their
progress, that it took 21to get through it.
At times they could not run more than five miles a day, and they lost some anchors.
Some of the islands in this strait are inhabited, and a communication was had with the
natives, who appeared friendly, but on a sudden a number of canoes put off, and
approaching close to the Assistance, threw in a volley of arrows, by which one man
was killed and two dangerously wounded. They, however, retired very precipitately,
on the Providence firing at them and striking one of the canoes, by which some were
killed.
It was in this Strait the Pandora frigate was lost: and it is conjectured that M. de le
Peyrouse perished there.
There are on board the Providence part of the crew of the ship Matilda, a whaler,
belonging to London, which was wrecked in the South Seas, and had got to Otaheite
in their boats.—No account could be collected of the Bounty.
Only one man died of disease during the voyage. Indeed the healthy appearance of
every person belonging to the two vessels is remarkable.
The Honourable Council and Assembly, which met on Wednesday, came to
unanimous resolution, in consequence of the unparalleled sufferings of Captain Bligh
in his first voyage, and his unwearied perseverance of the final accomplishment of his
object, to present him with a piece of plate, of the value of 100 guineas, as a mark of
the sense this island entertains for his distinguished merit.

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