The schooner Matavai

Built by some of the mutineers on Tahiti, the schooner Resolution was confiscated by Captain Edwards. Renamed Matavai, it acted as a tender in the Pandora's search for the Bounty. William Oliver, a 19-year-old master's mate, was given command of a crew of eight.

After becoming separated from the Pandora during a storm off Samoa, Oliver successfully navigated the Matavai to Tofua and then to Surabaya. The journal kept by his second in command, 16 year-old midshipman David Renouard, is a fascinating account of the abilities, survival skills and endurance of distressed 18th century seamen surviving in the South Pacific.*

David Renouard, midshipman:

"With much perseverance, the mutineers had built a boat. She was handsomely shaped of about 18 tons. Captain Edwards resolved to commission her and gave orders that she should be repaired and supplied with canvas sail and such other necessaries as her service required. Having christened her the 'Matuavy Tender' after the bay so named, he put her in charge of a master's mate, midshipman, quartermaster and six seamen."

The Matavai arrived in Surabaya several weeks before the survivors of the Pandora's shipwreck. Oliver's astonishing feat of navigation and seamanship rivals (and in some respects surpasses) Bligh's much-vaunted open boat voyage in the Bounty launch. Ironically, Oliver's crew were suspected as Bounty mutineers and imprisoned. One of the crew did not survive the voyage to civilisation-Thomas Barker ("much advanced in years", according to the teenaged Renouard) died in Surabaya hospital in October 1791.

Renouard:

"Mr Oliver immediately waited on the governor to acquaint him with our misfortunes and to implore the protection and assistance due to British subjects in distress. But the fate of the 'Bounty' had been communicated to (him), in consequence of which the governor suspected the truth of our story. The appearance of our vessel, being built entirely of Otaheitan wood, served to strengthen him in the opinion that we were in reality part of the 'pirates' who had seized on the 'Bounty'."

But Oliver managed to persuade the governor to let them go on to Batavia. On the way there, several weeks later, they fortuitously met up in Samarang with their former shipmates, who had survived the wreck of the Pandora and were on the VOC ship Rembang.

William Oliver died on the journey home, having fallen ill in Batavia. David Renouard narrowly escaped the same fate. The Matavai was sold to a local merchant and years later wrecked in the South China Sea off the Ladrones Islands.

* Renouard's account was published in 1964: H.E. Maude (Ed)-"The Voyage of Pandora's tender" [Mariners' Mirror vol 50 (3)]