4. Bligh located a cave in which to shelter on Tofua
At dawn on the day following the mutiny, the men in the launch discovered a cave in the northwest area of Tofua’s coastline. A party of men landed to search for a supply of fresh water, and whatever sustenance they could find. Bligh remained in the launch. The weather, which had been clear and calm, worsened rapidly, with high winds and seas, preventing Bligh from standing off the island when the party returned. On Friday, May 1, 1789, Bligh and his men were still exploring the island looking for breadfruit, coconuts, and a source of fresh water, when the weather became stormy and wet. It was on that day they first encountered natives on Tofua. Soon a large party gathered.
Bligh had a smattering of the language of Polynesia, in the Tahitian dialect, and was able to converse with the local chiefs, who insisted that he remain ashore that night. The sailors had been using the cave as a base during the day, but Bligh was determined to sleep in the launch. By late afternoon the sailors had moved nearly all their gear, and the few supplies they had found on the island, to their boat. The natives surrounded Bligh on three sides, with the sea and the launch at his back. They demanded he either remain ashore or surrender the magnifying glass the Englishman carried, having observed him using it to start a fire earlier in the day. Bligh knew it was the only means he had of starting fires, and refused to surrender it to the natives, who began clacking large stones together in their hands.