The HMS Bounty left England in 1787 on a mission to collect breadfruit plants from Tahiti. Captain William Bligh was in charge. He was known for being extremely harsh. He cut the crew's food rations and punished sailors for small mistakes. The crew spent five months in Tahiti, where life was much easier. When they had to leave, many sailors did not want to go. On April 28, 1789, Fletcher Christian led a mutiny. The angry sailors seized the ship and forced Captain Bligh and 18 loyal crew members into a small open boat. Bligh had very few supplies. Most captains would have died. But Bligh was an extraordinary navigator. He sailed that tiny boat 3,618 miles across open ocean to the island of Timor. The journey took 47 days. Meanwhile, the mutineers tried to settle on several islands. They eventually sailed to Pitcairn Island, a remote spot barely visible on any map. They burned the Bounty so no one could find them. The story became one of the most famous tales of rebellion at sea.