But although the infamous mutiny of Mr Bligh's crew had entirely frustrated the designs of his majesty, in sending out the Bounty, yet it did not lessen the zeal for benefiting his people, which had first suggested the plan ; and, accordingly we find, that, as soon as circum stances permitted, a new expedition was set on foot un der the auspices of the same commander, whose own account, furnished with the utmost liberality from his MS. journal, we beg leave to lay before our readers : it will convey clearer ideas of the voyage than can be af forded by any other means.
" Captain Bligh sailed from England in command of his majesty's ship Providence, with a small vessel to at tend him, called the Assistant, on the 3d of August 1791, to proceed to Otaheite in the South Sea, and from thence to bring the bread-fruit plant to the West Indies, and such others as might be found of rarity or use. On his return, it was left for him to explore the pas sage between New Holland and New Guinea ; a pas sage which no mariner had dared to attempt before the Captain's voyage in the Bounty, which has been al ready narrated. All this was accomplished.
On the 28th August 1791, Captain Bligh anchored, with his tender, in St Cruz road at the island of Teneriffe, and having taken in wine and refreshments, he sailed from thence on the 1st September ; after having touched at the island of St Jago, he proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope, and anchored in Table Bay on the 6th November.
The vessels remained at the Cape until the 23d De cember 1791, when they sailed for Van Diemen's Land, which they reached on the 9th February 1792. Having sailed on the 24th of the same month, they arrived on the 9th of April in Matavai Bay in the island of Otaheite.
At this place they remained, and the crews were zealously employed in collecting the bread-fruit plants, which were stowed in the great cabin of the Providence, which had been previously prepared for their reception. All were got on board by the 17th July. and they sailed the following day, with 1281 pots and tubs of plants, in the finest condition.
After a most dangerous passage through the straits which separate New I Tolland from New Guinea, Captain Bligh anchored at Coupang in the island of Timor, on the 2d October, where he remained, replacing such plants as had died with others of that island, until the 10th of the same month, when he sailed by the Cape of Good Hope, which he passed, without having the ther mometer lower than 61° Fahrenheit, or going farther south than 37° 46' south latitude.
On the 17th December, he anchored at St Helena ; there 57 kinds of fruit trees were collected, and that the settlement might he benefited by those he had on board, Captain Bligh gave to the government 23 bread fruit plants, besides some other valuable fruit trees.
Captain Bligh now proceeded to the island of St Vincent, and arrived in Kingston Bay on the 23d January 1793; there he remained until the 23d instant, when, having left under the care of Dr Anderson, the well known superintendant of the botanical garden in that colony, 333 bread fruit trees, and 211 fruit trees; and having received 467 plants for his Majesty's garden at Kew, he sailed for Jamaica in termination of his orders.
Having executed the duty entrusted to him with the utmost celerity, Captain Bligh arrived at Port Royal, in the island of Jamaica, on the 5th February 1793. There he landed 623 plants, 347 of which were bread fruit. The others consisted of the finest fruit of the East.
To complete all the objects of Captain Bligh's mis sion, it only remained for him to return to Britain with a selection of plants for the king ; and accordingly he accomplished that end, with a great variety of beautiful specimens.
The two vessels sailed from Jamaica on the 14th June 1793, and having left some plants on the Grand Cay man, they arrived in the Downs on the 2d August 1793." The Providence was 420 tons burthen. The Assis tant 110. The former carried 100 men, the latter 27. The Assistant was commanded by Lieutenant Nathaniel Portlock.
From Jamaica and St Vincent's, plants of the bread fruit tree have been introduced into different parts of the British colonies, chiefly by the exertions of public spirited individuals ; so that the culture of it has received a very fair trial. It has been said that Dr Anderson of St Vincent has succeeded in raising trees both from cuttings and layers. We know not whether this be the Eta or not ; but of this we are perfectly assured, that the experiment has been completely unsuccessful in the hands of some intelligent gentlemen, who have made it with much attention, and on whose accuracy we can rely. Fortunately, however, it has been suffi ciently ascertained, that there is a simple mode of pro pagation which very generally answers. It is merely this : One of the branches of the root is bared of earth, and then wounded with a spade ; in a short time, a shoot springs up from the wound; after this has occurred, and the shoot is sufficiently vigorous to bear removal, the separation is completed ; and any accidental connection with fibres, or other useless appendages, is also des troyed. The young plant is then dug up, with a pro per quantity of earth, and placed in a hole, in which it soon fixes itself In about three years, it expands into a full sized tree, which yields fruit in great abun dance.