Pitcairn  Source  Whalesite

      The Madras Government Gazette contains some particulars respecting a cruise of H.M. ship Comet, on the Australian station: —

      "In consequence of an application from the inhabitants of Pitcairn Island in the Pacific (the descendants of the mutineers of the Bounty), to be removed to Otaheita, from the great scarcity of, and difficulty in procuring water on their own Island, the home government ordered the authorities of New South Wales to comply with their wishes; and for this purpose the Comet accompanied the transport Lucy Ann. They left Sydney on the 13th October, and after touching at New Zealand, proceeded to Pitcairn Island. The inhabitants, however, on their arrival, seemed to have changed their mind, and naturally shewed great reluctance to leave the spot where almost all of them had been born and brought up. They have been described to us as a very superior race of people indeed, and much attention had accordingly been paid to their morals and religious education; the more striking, as the Comet, on touching at New Zealand, had observed the reverse: for the greatest laxity of morals prevailed, and all the good seed attempted to be sown by the missionaries had been thrown away.

      "After a short sojourn, the whole of the population of the island, amounting to eighty-seven souls, were embarked and safely landed at Otaheita, where the queen had prepared for them grants of land. It will be remembered that the mutineers supplied themselves with wives from this island before going to Pitcairn, and two of the women, who accompanied the mutineers, returned in the transport to the place of their birth. The meeting between them and their relatives is described as almost ludicrous.

      "We regret to hear that the state of things at Otaheita was fully as bad, if not worse, than at New Zealand. The inhabitants of many of the Friendly Islands were at war with one another, and the feelings of the peaceable inhabitants of Pitcairn Island cannot be easily described; in fact they were horror struck with every thing they saw: the greatest profligacy prevailed at Otaheita, and we really wonder at our government allowing the change to take place."

      The Calcutta Gov. Gazette, of December 22, says:—"From all that we have been able to learn, we have come to the painful conclusion, that the presence of the missionaries in New Zealand and Otaheite has been productive of more mischief than good. In the former island we have understood that the missionaries unite the incompatible characters of traders and messengers of the Gospel. We have also heard and seen it recorded, that some of them by no means are so exemplary in their own conduct as the moral and religions teachers of the demi-savage people ought to be. Several of them, we have also understood, were brought up as mechanics in their own country. With respect to the missionaries of Otaheite, on the other hand, we believe them to be as sincere in their sacred calling as they are irreproachable in character. While we admit this, however, we cannot but deprecate their meddling, unprofitable, and even mischievous interference with the harmless amusements and customs of the people. They have not merely appeared among the Otaheitians as ministers of the Gospel, but as inquisitors, gloomy, austere, and annoyingly vigilant. They have kept the string too much bent, forgetful that, without social recreation and relaxation, life would only be a perpetual penance."

      A correspondent, in a succeeding gazette, vindicates the cause of missions, by referring the editor to the work of Messrs. Tyerman and Bennet.

      The following letter from "a gentleman resident at Woahoo," appears in the Canton Register of January 16: --

      "These islands (Sandwich) are unusually dull; the trade is nothing; the missionaries are determined to get the whole commerce into their own hands, and every means have been tried to drive the foreigners from the islands. They have prevented our riding on horseback on Sundays, and are endeavouring to stop us from drinking wine or brandy in our own houses; an armed force was sent to stop some gentlemen from playing at billiards at a private billiard-table; but, as that was carrying the joke too far, the whole of the foreigners rallied and compelled the saintly troops to retreat. The missionaries have gone so far as to persuade the chiefs, that changing the governor of this island cancels the government debt.

      "I will give you a statement of some facts that have occurred at the Society Islands, which I wish to be published in the Canton Register, as I am in hopes that it may, in some measure, tend to open the eyes of the public to the gross misrepresentations of missionaries.

      "John Adams, the patriarch of Pitcairn's Island, fearing that, at some future period, the supply of water on the island would not be sufficient for the rapidly increasing population, petitioned the British government to remove them. One of the missionaries of the Society Islands being (at the time the petition was received) in England, was appointed to point out the most eligible spot: he recommended Ota-

heite, representing the Otaheitians as the most virtuous people alive. Last April, the Comet sloop-of-war, and Lucy Anne, government transport, arrived at Otaheite, having the whole of the Pitcairn islanders on board. They were granted a piece of land, and a contract was made with some persons residing there to supply them with provisions for the first six months; the poor creatures were so disgusted, however, with the depravity of the Otaheitians, that they would not allow them to come near them, and so much disappointed were tbey at the infamous falsehoods that had been told them respecting the morals of the Otaheitians, that many of them sickened, twelve died, and twelve took a passage in a little schooner to go back to their island. Two of these died on their passage; but the others reached Pitcairn's in safety. The remainder were carried back to their island by an American brig, after having been obliged to dispose of their blankets, &c. (given them by the British government) to enable them to pay for their passage.

      "Thus was this most interesting little colony nearly exterminated by the exaggerations and falsehoods contained in the missionary reports.

      "As a proof of what the missionaries themselves really think of the Otaheitians, I will give you an extract of a letter written by them to a friend of mine: 'his Majesty's ship Comet, Capt. Sandilands, and Lucy Anne, transport, are arrived with the Pitcairn islanders on board. They are really an interesting people, but I'm afraid their morals will soon be corrupted by the Otaheitians."

"Asiatic Intelligence – Polynesia."
      Asiatic Journal and Monthly Miscellany.
New Series, v. 8, No. 30 (June 1832).
    pp. 106-107.

Pitcairn  Source  Whalesite