The behaviour of these people on all occasions was highly deserving of praise.  One morning, at the relief of the watch, the small cutter was missing.  The ship’s company were immediately mustered, when it appeared that three men were absent.  They had taken with them eight stand of arms and ammunition; but what their plan was, or which way they had gone, no one on board seemed to have the least knowledge.  Information being given of the route they had taken, the master was dispatched to search for the cutter, and one of the chiefs went with him; but before they had got half way, they met the boat with five of the natives, who were bringing her back to the ship.  For this service they were handsomely rewarded.  The chiefs promised to use every possible means to detect and bring back the deserters, which, in a few days, some of the islanders had so far accomplished as to seize and bind them, but let them loose again on a promise that they would return to their ship, which they did not exactly fulfil, but gave themselves up soon after on a search being made for them.

A few days after this, a much more serious occurrence happened, that was calculated to give to the commander great concern.  The wind had blown fresh in the night, and at daylight it was discovered that the cable, by which the ship rode, had been cut near the water’s edge, in such a manner, that only one strand remained whole.  While they were securing the ship, Tinah came on board; and though there was no reason whatever to suppose otherwise than that he was perfectly innocent of the transaction, nevertheless, says the commander, ’I spoke to him in a very peremptory manner, and insisted upon his discovering and bringing to me the offender.  He promised to use his utmost endeavours to discover the guilty person.  The next morning he and his wife came to me, and assured me that they had made the strictest inquiries without success.  This was not at all satisfactory, and I behaved towards them with great coolness, at which they were much distressed; and the lady at length gave vent to her sorrow by tears.  I could no longer keep up the appearance of mistrusting them, but I earnestly recommended to them, as they valued the King of England’s friendship, that they would exert their utmost endeavours to find out the offenders, which they faithfully promised to do.’

Here Bligh observes, it had since occurred to him, that this attempt to cut the ship adrift was most probably the act of some of his own people; whose purpose of remaining at Otaheite might have been effectually answered without danger, if the ship had been driven on shore.  At the time it occurred, he says, he entertained not the least thought of this kind, nor did the possibility of it enter into his ideas, having no suspicion that so general an indication, or so strong an attachment to these islands, could prevail among his people, as to induce them to abandon every prospect of returning to their native country.