COCOFINA COCONUT WATER LEGEND AND LITERATURE

The World's Most Expensive Coconut

On the 28th April, 1789, the most famous mutiny in British naval history occurred off the Polynesian island of Tofoa. Led by Fletcher Christian, the crew of HMS Bounty – on a mission to collect breadfruit seedlings – relieved Captain William Bligh of his command and cast him adrift in a small boat.

On reaching Tofoa, Bligh and his 17 companions were attacked by natives and forced to leave the island. Unfortunately one of the Bligh’s men was killed and some provisions lost. Captain Bligh later wrote:

“…our whole Stock therefore only consisted of 20lbs of Pork 3 Bottles of Wine, 5 Quarts of Rum 150lbs Bread and 28 Galls. of Water, with a few Cocoa Nuts we had been able to throw into the Boat

Undaunted, and unaided by maps, Bligh set a course for Timor, 4,000 miles away. He arrived at Timor 42 days later. This incredible feat of navigation is all the greater given that the daily ration for each man was “one ounce of bread and a Jill of water…”

As a memento of this journey, Bligh kept the piece of coconut shell that he had used as a cup and measure. In 2002, the piece of shell marked 'W Bligh April 1789' and inscribed around the rim with the words: ‘The cup I ate my miserable allowance out of ‘ was put up for auction by Christie’s in London.

The coconut cup sold for the astounding sum of £71,100 and can now be seen at the National Maritime museum in Greenwich.

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