The natives assembled, and came to a resolution to avenge the murder, and literally stoned Thompson to death, and his skull was brought on board the _Pandora_.

This horrible wretch had some time before slain a man and a child through mere wantonness, but escaped punishment by a mistake that had nearly proved fatal to young Heywood.

It seems that the description of a person in Otaheite is usually given by some distinguishing figure of the _tattoo_, and Heywood, having the same marks as Thompson, was taken for him; and just as the club was raised to dash out his brains, the interposition of an old chief, with whom he was travelling round the island, was just in time to avert the blow.
Captain Edwards had no clue to guide him as to the route taken by the _Bounty_, but he learnt from different people and from journals kept on board that ship, which were found in the chests of the mutineers at Otaheite, the proceedings of Christian and his associates after Lieutenant Bligh and his companions had been turned adrift in the launch.

From these it appears that the pirates proceeded in the first instance to the island of Toobouai, in lat.

20 deg.