The ship was masted according to the proportion of the navy; but on my application the masts were shortened, as I thought them too much for her, considering the nature of the voyage.

The mutiny
Since it was rated only as a cutter the Bounty had no officers other than Bligh himself (who was then only a lieutenant) a very small crew and no Marines to provide protection from hostile natives during stops or enforce security on board ship. Shortly thereafter A Narrative of the Mutiny on board His Majesty's Ship "Bounty" was publiWilliam Blighd.

A historic mutiny occurred during his command of HMS Bounty in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor after being set adrift in the Bounty's launch by the mutineers. Fifteen years after the Bounty mutiny he was appointed Governor of New South Wales in Australia with orders to clean up the corrupt rum trade of the New South Wales Corps resulting in the so-called Rum Rebellion.