One of the most famous ships in the history of seafaring, HMS Bounty, was known for the bold mutiny that took place on this sailing shop. In 1787 Captain William Bligh was given the mission of taking bread fruit trees from Tahiti to the West Indies. Captain Bligh ruled with an iron hand and kept on reducing the rations of the crew. On 28 April 1789 this resulted in the famous mutiny. Bligh and 18 faithful crew members were cast off in a boat. The remaining crew decided to remain in the region and settled on Pitcairn Island. To avoid discovery, the Bounty was then burned in 1790.