Whaling  Notes  Source  Whalesite

      The interest excited by the fate of the Islanders of Pitcairn, an account of whom we laid before our Friends last week, induced us to solicit from Captain Henderson himself such particulars as might have fallen under his own observation, either regarding the mutiny which led to their first settlement there, or their subsequent history. With this wish, Captain Henderson has obligingly complied, and the following are the particulârs that he has communicated to us, which we give in his own words; —

Dear Sir,

      I was favoured with your obliging Note, just as I was leaving town; and from the interest you have taken in the fate of the little colony, descendants of our countrymen, at Pitcairn's Island, and the benefits they will derive from the liberal assistance procured for them through your successful pleadings with the Public on their behalf, I feel it a duty to lose no time in throwing hastily together such recollections as I retain of the Island and its inhabitants, as well of the facts with which old Adams made me acquainted regarding the mutiny of the Bounty, which first led to their settlement there. My task will be necessarily hasty and imperfect, from the immediate departure of my vessel on her voyage, but you may at least rely on the fidelity and accuracy of my statement.

      In looking over Captain Bligh's Narrative of his voyage in the boat, I observe, he says, "The secrecy of this mutiny is beyond all conception. Thirteen of the party who were with me had always lived among the people, yet neither they, nor the mess-mates of Christian, Stewart, Haywood, and Young, had ever observed any circumstance to give them suspicion of what was going on."

      The conversation that I had with old Adams while on shore at Pitcairn's Island, will set this at rest, but I shall give you the history of my intercourse with these Islanders as it occurred.

      We made Pitcairn's Island on the morning of the 18th of January 1819, and I make it to lie in lat. 25° 58' south, long. 130° 28' west, nearly the same as Sir Thomas Staines. On getting within two or three miles of the shore, we observed a boat coming off, which was very small, being one given to them by an American that had touched at the Island about eighteen months before. On approaching us, the first thing they asked was, whether we were a man of war or a merchantman, American or English? On being answered that we were a trading ship under British colours from India, they came on board, nine in number, and all young men.

      After breakfast I went on shore at 7 a. m. and was received on the rocks by old Mr. Adams, and all the other inhabitants of the Island; but not before the Islanders that were in the boat with me had given a shout or cry peculiar to themselves to signify my being a friend. I delivered to Adams the box of Books from the Missionary Society of London, and a Letter from Adams's brother, who is still living at Wapping in London. I read this Letter to him, giving him a description of his family, mentioning the death of one sister, and the prosperity of another. This affected him much, and he often repeated that he never expected-to see this day, of indeed one of his countrymen more.

      I then ascended the rocks, and was led through groves of breadfruit, cocoanut, plantain, and what they call the tea tree, till we reached their village, formed on an oblong square. Their dwellings are all of wood, and very ingeniously contrived, so as to be shifted at pleasure, and were uncommonly clean. They had also built one or two houses with second stories since the frigates were there.

      The following particulars were related to me by Adams, respecting the mutiny of the Bounty, and I believe it to be correct, as old Adams said several times to me – "You shall hear nothing from me but the truth.

      A few days after leaving Otalteite, while still to windward of the Friendly Islands, Christian and Captain Bligh had a quarrel before Captain B. went to bed. When Christian came on deck in the middle watch, he called one of the Quarter Masters, named Quintal, aft, and said he wanted to leave the ship, as the conduct of the Captain was insupportable, and wished Quintal to assist in making a raft cf the spare spars, as he was determined to leave the ship, and did not wish to distress the crew or thwart the voyage by taking any body away with him. Quintal remonstrated, and said if he went, all would go, and proposed to seise the Captain and turn him off in the long boat, which was agreed to by the whole watch then on deck, and put into execution immediately.

      Adams was in his hammock at this time, as he belonged to the watch below, which was called up one by one, told what had taken place, and asked whether they would go or stay, leaving it entirely to themselves, no force being used to any one, but Captain Bligh.

      They then went to one of the Islands Tubi, to make a settlement, but could not agree with the natives. The majority were then disposed to steer for Otaheite, and there they went, taking with them two of the natives who would not leave them.

      When they arrived at Otaheite, the stores, sails, and all other moveable articlee, were shared out among the crew. The Bounty fell to the lot of Christian and eight others, who after taking on board live stock, women, the two natives of Tub!, and two of Otaheite, left the Island in the night – Christian not acquainting any person where he was going, until out of sight of the Island. He then communicated his intention to his shipmates, who approved of his determination, and they then steered for Pitcairn's Island, where they landed all the useful articles from the Bounty, and set fire to her off the north-east end of the Island, to prevent being discovered; but she drove on shore be-

fore she was entirely consumed, though there is not a vestige of her now to be seen. They carried their precautions so far, as even to destroy all the dogs, for fear the barking of these animals might, at any future time, betray them.

      About four years after they landed on the Island, one of their wives died, which was Williams's; The rest agreed to give him one of the black females, or natives of Otaheite, as a wife, to supply the place of his former one, and this caused the first disturbance on the Island, and the consequent death of Christian and four others, viz. Brown, Martin, John Mills, and John Williams, as also two of the Otaheitans. Christian wes the first, who was shot while at work in his yam plantation.

      The next disturbance took place about three years afterwards, and arose from one of the remaining Otaheitans refusing to work; but he was killed before he could do much mischief, except his wounding old Adams in the right shoulder. He attempted, indeed, after this shot, to knock his brains out; but Adams being a strong man, parried off the blow, having his left hand much shattered, and losing his forefinger. Before he could repeat this blow, Quintal dispatched the first Otaheitan, and the other, his companion, ran off to the woods; but coming back a few days afterwards, the women killed him in the night, while asleep, as they were afraid he might treacherously kill some of the Englishmen, to whom they were more attached than to their countrymen. Thus only four Englishmen were left, of whom one went mad and drowned himself, and two died natural deaths; "the last, about eighteen years ago, leaving me," says Adams, "to bring up their children, which I have done in the most Christian-like manner my means would allow." They say a prayer in the morning, one at noon, and another at night, and never omit asking a blessing, or returning thanks at meals.

      Adams is now fifty-seven years of age, has three daughters and one son – the last is about fourteen years old. The whole of this little community are in number forty-five, including men, women, and children. Christian left three sons, who are now all alive on the Island. They have had two births since the Frigates were there; they were then forty-three, and not forty- eight, as stated by Sir Thomas Staines. Adams said, this must bave been a mistake, as no deaths had occurred since the ships left them. They have plenty of fowls, goats, and hogs, on the Island, and I left them a ram, two ewes, and a lamb of the South American breed; as well as some potatoes, wheat, and paddy, for cultivation; with such other useful articles as the ship afforded.

      Adams reads the Bible to the Islanders, every Sunday evening; but he has not been able to get any of them to learn to read for want of a Spelling Book, of which he had only a few leaves. Their greatest want was implements for agriculture, mechanical tools, and cooking utensils, of which we could only supply them with our pitch pot, one or two spades, and a saw, with a few knives and forks, some plates, a few pairs of shoes, and the reading glass of my Sextant for old Adams, whose sight was failing.

      There are five Otaheitan women, and old Adams, that alone remain of the original settlers. Two ships had been seen from the Island before the Frigates appeared; but although they were near enough to see the people on board them. and made signs to them from the shore, they did not land. There were no canoes built on the Island at that time, so that they could not go off.

      These are the principal facts with which my memory furnishes me at present, but I hope I shall be able to give you a better description of the Island and its Inhabitants when I return again to Calcutta.

July 15, 1819.

"Pitcairn's Island."
      The Calcutta Journal or Political, Commercial, and Literary Gazette.
Vol. IV, No. 139 (July 20, 1819).
pp. 261-263.

Whaling  Notes  Source  Whalesite