Pitcairn's Island Source Whalesite |
THEQUARTERLY REVIEWFEBRUARY, 1810. |
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The mention of this fact brings to our recollection a recent and extraordinary discovery, which affords an awful and instructive lesson by shewing how seldom criminals escape divine vengeance, however successful they may have been in flying form the punishment due to the offended laws of their country. It may also in its consequences be highly important to the natives of the numerous islands scattered over the Pacific ocean. The following relation was transmitted officially to the Admiralty from Rio de Janeiro by Sir Sidney Smith.
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If this interesting relation rested solely on the faith that is due to Americans, with whom, we say it with regret, truth is not always considered as a moral obligation, we should hesitate in giving it this publicity. The narrative, however, states two facts on which the credibility of the story must stand or fall – the name of the mutineer and the maker of the time-piece; we have taken the trouble to ascertain the truth of both of these facts. Alexander Smith appears on the books of the Bounty as follows: 'Entered 7th Sep. 1787 Ab. Born in London. Aged 20. Run 28th April 1789. One of the mutineers:' and it appears also that the Bounty was actually supplied with a time piece made by Kendall. . . . .
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SOURCE:The source of this transcription is an unsigned review of de Dentrecasteaux's voyage by John Barrow in the Quarterly Review, Vol. 3, No. 5, February, 1810. The title of the review is: Art. II. Voyage de Dentrecasteaux, envoye a la Recherche de la Perouse, publie par Ordre de Sa Majeste l’Empereur et Roi, sous le Ministere de S. E. le Vice-Amiral Decres, Comte de l’ Empire. Redige par M. de Rossel, Ancien Capitaine de Vaisseau. 2 Tom. avec un Atlas. a Paris, 1808. It appears on pages 21 thru 43. The extract above is of pages 23 and 24. The review was reprinted in: Select Reviews, and Spirit of the Foreign Magazines (Philadelphia), Vol. 4, (Sept.) 1810, p.145-162.
Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Dec 3 2021.
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Pitcairn's Island Source Whalesite |