In 1787, Lieutenant William Bligh set sail from England on the HMS Bounty to Tahiti to procure breadfruit trees to transport to the West Indies, to be used as food for the African slaves there. The Bounty spent five months at Tahiti, where trees, animals, and assorted goods were loaded on the ship in exchange for "trinkets" to the Tahitians. Many of the men developed relationships with Tahitian women, and realizing they'd rather live in Tahiti than go back to England, decided they were going to stay. Bligh was severe in his punishments, particularly against Fletcher Christian, who would spearhead the mutiny. About a month after the Bounty set sail, Christian and men loyal to him took control of the ship in the middle of the night and forced Bligh and 19 of his men on a launch that was meant for only 10 men.