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PITCAIRN'S ISLAND.
We have been favoured with the perusal of a letter from the Rev. W. Armstrong, Chaplain at Valparaiso, addressed to a friend in England. It is dated January 29, 1850. The following portion of it will doubtless be found generally interesting: — "It is with pleasure that I give you what information I have respecting that interesting little community; and which I am now the better able to do, as a son of their instructor Nobbs, a youth of nineteen, has just been brought here from the island, which he had to leave in consequence of an accident, a gun-shot wound which happened three years ago, and has made him a cripple for life. The joint of his thigh bone having been dislocated, and one leg made some inches shorter than the other, he was disabled for the only employment there, that of agriculture. "The owner of a small vessel, bound hither from California, having his master ill on board, found himself in the vicinity of Pitcairn's, and remembering that a box of medicines had been sent there from Valparaiso (the one, you will recollect, Sir George Seymour forwarded), determined to go and apply for relief at this, above all others, most out-of-the-way druggist's shop. He fully succeeded: and, as one return, he gave a free passage to Reuben Nobbs' eldest son, a great grandson, on his mother's side, of Fletcher Christian, one of the mutineers of the Bounty. He also offered a passage to old Nobbs himself, who was anxious to accompany his son, that he might see him in some way settled in the world, and then return to his people; but the whole of his adopted countrymen came and begged that it should not be. It was altogether too much for them to lose their clergyman, their schoolmaster, and their doctor; all which he is to them in a no inefficient manner, his duties being at times most onerous. For instance, during an epidemic that prevailed, when not more than twenty out of 150 escaped the influenza, he was attending them from house to house, day and night, more or less, during a period of two months; and with such success, that he did not lose a single case besides an infant. His instructions in the school-room are by no means of the most ordinary kind; for the officers of the men-of-war who have visited them tell me that they are taught the lower branches of mathematics and navigation. I have just been questioning Nobbs, who is sitting near me, as to the truth of this; and he says, this instruction was confined to private lessons given to some at their houses. But to return to Reuben. His father gave him the whole of the money he possessed, amounting to eight dollars; and all the families joined in fitting him out to the best of their power, furnishing him with a pretty fair wardrobe, and making up altogether a purse of forty dollars and odd, several contributing every cent they had. "I took him, on his arrival here three weeks back, into my house, with the view of getting him into some employment here. I am |
having him taught Spanish; but he is naturally slow and inactive, which, with his infirmity, renders it difficult to get him into any situation, particularly as there are many young men lately come out from Europe, seeking situations where nothing is offered. After a time, I am in hopes that something may be done to enable him to obtain some livelihood or other. "With regard to your own wishes, and those of the friends whom you have so kindly interested in behalf of the islanders, I am somewhat at a loss what to advise. For the present, I do not think that they are absolutely requiring any particular assistance. It might seem desirable to provide them with a clergyman, could a suitable person be met with to give himself up to the furtherance of their welfare; for when once settled among them he could hardly leave them again. Then he would have in a great measure to conform himself to their primitive mode of living, at least with regard to food, and particularly at the outset. He would have to be remunerated from other sources than are to be found there; even Nobbs has to support himself and family, with the assistance of his sons, from the produce of his own little field. "They cultivate vegetables in considerable quantities, bartering them for such commodities as they most require and can obtain from such vessels as chance to stand off their little isle for a few hours, which have of late diminished in their calls. They occasionally in this way get a little money; and by Nobbs I received a bag containing about ninety dollars, in return for a bull and cow they requested I would send them, saying at the time, they hoped to be able to meet the expense. They were, of course, forwarded free of all charge (Captain Fanshawe, of H.M.S. Daphne, having kindly conveyed them to the island); but they more than made good their word, for the sum much exceeded the entire cost. I sent them at the time other things; and they had recently received a supply of necessary articles which they had commissioned the master of a vessel calling to bring to them, and which the owners, on seeing, desired should be given to them in exchange for such supplies for the ships as they might have to make a return with. They mentioned in a letter to me how glad they were in having an abundance of vegetables, &c. on hand just at the time. "I begged them to let me know exactly what they were requiring that I could send them; but in their last they tell me that they need nothing more, and that their little wants in future may be satisfied from the ships that occasionally come to them. They are not, I believe, really in want of anything requisite for their primitive mode of living, and it is well not to create unnecessary wants among them; though I believe their modesty prevents them asking for a single thing. "I hope by the next opportunity to supply them with a few articles I know they will be glad of, such as blankets, of which I find they are very deficient, and a few other things. They tell me they have for the present a good supply of books; having received the grant |
(a very suitable one) from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. A year or two hence they might be thankful to receive another from that source of Christian benevolence. A church barrel-organ, I know, would be a most acceptable present to them, and for this you have been so kind as to give me occasion to look to you." * * * * * *
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Source.
"Pitcairn's Island."
This transcription was made from the volume at Google Books.
Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Jul 3, 2023
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