Florida And The Bounty
For many years the great ship Bounty graced a small
sheltered cove at the St.Petersburg pier in Florida. The ship, a replica of
the original ship, was captained by William Bligh. The crew was made up of
men of the sea; perhaps a ship's doctor, cook, and combination of sail fitters,
blacksmith, and ordinary seamen. The proximity of individual space allotted
to each person became unbearable during long voyages. This was evident when
visitors to the ship toured the deck and bowels of the Bounty.What was it like to be a sailor when history was forming? There were pathetically cramped quarters with no individual privacy. Food poisoning from rotten meat, vegetables, and fruit occurred when they were unable to replenish supplies. Other privations that were always present were lack of vitamin C, and spoiled citrus causing scurvy. At night, sleeping sailors were bitten and developed infected wounds from rat bites. Also,dysentery from contaminated or putrid water kept in wooden barrels–typhus fever from lice, flies, and filthy unsanitary waste disposal were present. Death came when shipwrecked, starvation, thirst, sun and weather exposure, drowning, and walking the plank on pirate ships. Some sailors had no family, but loved the sea enough to spend most of their lives on a ship at sea. It seems they heard an eternal voice compelling them to follow the life of a seaman. Strangely, the smell of the powerful increasing wind wiping the surface of the water clean made each sailor breathe deep, completely relaxed, and mesmerized. The vast expanse of water allowed them to segregate themselves from their worldly problems. The harshness of life when sailing, the thrill and mystique of seeing new undiscovered places pursued them as sailors. Many land lubbers were forced to the sea when shanghai'd by unscrupulous captains to form a crew. A sailor completing a voyage sometimes had a 50-50 chance to make the journey and return home to his family. There is still undefined mystique of the sea that propels a person toward a boat, fishing, open sky, and adjacent 
land. Even today what answer fits the reason for you to get close to the water line. How do
we fit the picture, do we love or hate it; yet what compels us to follow it.Depending upon the captain, cruel and unusual punishment for any slight infraction was the rule of the day. Extremely long periods at sea, low wages and very little chance to better themselves precipitated unrest. Captain Bligh's cruel and demeaning ways caused his crew to mutiny. Fletcher Christian, a masters mate, led the mutiny. He sent Captain Bligh and 18 of his loyal crew adrift in an open boat. Christian and the remaining mutineers sailed back to their paradise. Their dreams and ambitions did not end as they again experienced hardships and tried to escape the wrath of Bligh. What an intricate life sailors have. Water seems to have a magnetic influence and control of their actions. Sailors live in a separate world of their own, full of joy and self satisfaction that keeps their steps toward the waterline of the sea. |
