What Mutiny do I Commemorate Today?
April 28, 2014
April 28 is the anniversary of the Bounty mutiny. Bligh’s biography written here, indicates he possessed high level of seamanship and was a loyal officer. These characteristics earned him respect. His irascibility and unbending nature also brought him trouble.
He fought under Nelson and earned his praise. In 1801, he was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his contributions to navigation and botany.
After his naval career, he served as Governor of New South Wales and had a tumultuous career in Australia, as well, due to his hot temper and insistence on carrying out the law. He was eventually promoted to Vice Admiral and his claims in New South Wales were granted to his estate, providing well for his heirs.
The mutiny occurred on this day in 1789, blamed on harsh treatment of the crew members. Did Bligh really deserve the disfavor that his crew and indeed history has heaped upon him? Read more here.
How did I knot leave a comment? That’s so knot like me. I hijacked this very blog to form one of my own and forgot to say thank you. It gives meaning to the world though to say that Bligh, while he had a world to choose from for the nearest landfall, back in the 18th century, sailed on; landfalls without horrible consequences were still damned hard to come by back then. Like pizza in Greece.
It sort of defines the whole entire chain restaurant theme we got after the invention of cars and the open road. Greasy Spoons used to mean something. They were places to be avoided that tourists didn’t know enough to stay away from. By golly, whole continents and islands were like that back then. They were Greasy Spoons where you did not want to appear on the menu.
Great imagery. Am adding “like pizza in Greece” to my lexicon.