Editing Mutiny on the Bounty (section)

=== Towards home ===
In their ''Bounty'' histories, both Hough and Alexander maintain that the men were not at a stage close to mutiny; however, they were sorry to leave Tahiti. The journal of [[James Morrison (mutineer)|James Morrison]], the boatswain's mate, supports this.{{sfn|Hough|1972|p=133}}{{sfn|Alexander|2003|p=126}}{{#tag:ref|Morrison's journal was probably written with the advantage of hindsight, after his return to London as a prisoner. Hough argues that Morrison could not have maintained a day-by-day account of all the experiences he underwent, including the mutiny, his capture, and the return to England.{{sfn|Hough|1972|pp=312–313}}|group="n"|name="morrison"}} The events that followed, Hough suggests, were determined in the three weeks following the departure, when Bligh's anger and intolerance reached [[paranoia|paranoid]] proportions. Christian was a particular target, always seeming to bear the brunt of the captain's rages.{{sfn|Hough|1972|pp=131–132}} Unaware of the effects of his behaviour on his officers and crew,{{sfn|Frost|2004}} Bligh would forget these displays instantly and attempt to resume normal conversation.{{sfn|Hough|1972|p=133}}

On 22 April 1789, ''Bounty'' arrived at [[Nomuka]], in the [[Tonga|Friendly Islands]] (now called Tonga), intending to pick up wood, water, and further supplies on the final scheduled stop before the Endeavour Strait.{{sfn|Hough|1972|pp=135–136}} Bligh had visited the island with Cook and knew that the inhabitants could behave unpredictably. He put Christian in charge of the watering party and equipped him with [[musket]]s, but at the same time ordered that the arms should be left in the boat instead of carried ashore.{{sfn|Hough|1972|pp=135–136}} Christian's party was harassed and threatened continually but were unable to retaliate, having been denied the use of arms. He returned to the ship with his task incomplete, and was cursed by Bligh as "a damned cowardly rascal".{{sfn|Alexander|2003|pp=129–130}} Further disorder ashore resulted in the thefts of a small anchor and an [[adze]], for which Bligh further berated Christian and Fryer.{{sfn|Hough|1972|pp=138–139}} In an attempt to recover the missing property, Bligh briefly detained the island's chieftains on the ship, but to no avail. When he finally gave the order to sail, neither the anchor nor the adze had been restored.{{sfn|Alexander|2003|pp=132–133}}

By 27 April, Christian was in a state of despair, depressed and brooding.{{sfn|Guttridge|2006|pp=27–29}}{{#tag:ref|The historian Leonard Guttridge suggests that Christian's psychological state may have been further affected by the venereal disease contracted in Tahiti.{{sfn|Guttridge|2006|pp=27–29}} |group="n"|name="depressed"}} His mood was worsened when Bligh accused him of stealing coconuts from the captain's private supply. Bligh punished the whole crew for this theft, stopping their rum ration and reducing their food by half.{{sfn|Alexander|2003|p=136}}{{sfn|Hough|1972|p=144}} Feeling that his position was now intolerable, Christian considered constructing a raft with which he could escape to an island and take his chances with the natives. He may have acquired wood for this purpose from Purcell.{{sfn|Guttridge|2006|pp=27–29}}{{sfn|Hough|1972|pp=13–14, 147}} In any event, his discontent became common knowledge among his fellow officers. Two of the young gentlemen, George Stewart and [[Ned Young|Edward Young]], urged him not to desert; Young assured him that he would have the support of almost all on board if he were to seize the ship and depose Bligh.{{sfn|Hough|1972|pp=14–16}} Stewart told him the crew were "ripe for anything".{{sfn|Guttridge|2006|pp=27–29}}