The "Bounty" was captained by Lieutenant William Bligh and he took command on 16 August 1787. On 23 December, 1787, "Bounty" set off on the long trip to Tahiti. On the journey, William Bligh tried to go around Cape Horn. He tried for over a month but bad weather and winds stopped the ship. The "Bounty" was turned around and went the longer way around the Cape of Good Hope.