Pitcairn's Island  Source  Whalesite

      Few, probably, of our readers are unacquainted with "The eventful History of H.M.S. Bounty." ¹ It will be unnecessary, therefore, to do more than give such a general outline of it, as may serve to introduce some interesting letters respecting the present condition of the inhabitants of Pitcairn's Island.

      It was on the 28th of April, 1789, during the return voyage of the Bounty from Otaheite, that the memorable mutiny occurred. Fletcher Christian and his accomplices seized the ship, and having forced Lieutenant Bligh and eighteen of the officers and crew on board the launch, in the middle of the Pacific, set their course to Otaheite, Having obtained ample supplies of provision, and left behind them such of the mutineers as chose to remain, they took on board seven men and twelve women, and set sail to discover some uninhabited island, where there was no harbour, and where they might escape a visit from any of the King's ships. What had become of them remained a mystery for twenty years. The first to discover their retreat was Captain Folger, of the American merchantman, the Topaz; who, landing on Pitcairn's Island in September, 1808, there found John Adams, the only survivor of those who had arrived in the Bounty. That vessel, it appears, had been run on shore in 1790, and broken up to escape detection.

      Nothing more was heard of the matter till the year 1815, when Sir Thomas Staines, commanding the Briton, cruising in the Pacific, fell in with an island not laid down in any chart; and nearing it to learn whether it was inhabited, was astonished to find that "every individual (forty in number) spoke very good English. They proved" (he adds,) "to be the descendants of the deluded crew of the Bounty." The mutineers themselves, as well as the greater part of the Otaheitans whom they brought with them, had been killed in quarrels between the two races. Christian himself was shot by an Otaheitan in a fit of jealousy. The survivor, who had been wounded in one of these frays, but providentially recovered, was a remarkable man. He is thus described by Sir Thomas Staines: —

      "A venerable old man, named John Adams, is the only surviving Englishman of those who last quitted Otaheite in the Bounty; and his exemplary conduct, and fatherly care of the whole of the little colony, could not but command admiration. The pious manner in which all those born on the island have been reared, the correct sense of religion which has been instilled into their young minds by this old man, has given him the pre-eminence over the whole of them, to whom they look up as the father of one and the whole family." Another extract from the same letter will be read with interest,

and we beg leave to submit it to the consideration of the Society to which reference is made.

      "I cannot refrain from offering my opinion that it (the island) is well worthy the attention of our laudable religious societies, particularly that for Propagating the Christian Religion, the whole of the inhabitants speaking the Otaheitan tongue as well as the English."

      Further particulars are furnished in a letter of Captain Pipon of the Tagus, who accompanied Sir Thomas Staines in his visit to Pitcairn's Island.

      "As they approached they observed a few natives coming down a steep descent, with their canoes on their shoulders; and in a few minutes perceived one of those little vessels darting through a heavy surf, and paddling off toward the ships; but their astonishment was extreme when, on coming alongside, they were hailed in the English language, with 'Won't you heave us a rope now?' The first of the young men who sprang up the side of the vessel was Thursday October Christian, son of the chief mutineer; the other was George Young, son of the midshipman. The surprise that was excited by hearing two natives of this rock-bound, and almost inaccessible island, speak English with perfect propriety, was much increased when Sir Thomas Staines, taking them below, and setting before them something to eat, "both rose up, and one of them, placing his hands together in a posture of devotion, pronounced distinctly, and with emphasis, the words, 'For what we are going to receive, the Lord make us truly thankful.'"

      To enter into a detailed account of their manners and customs would lead us too far away from our main purpose, and is, indeed, unnecessary, as the volume to which we have already referred is well known and easily accessible. It may be remarked, however, that the Anglo-Otaheitans are a singularly robust and active race. Both men and women are described as well-formed, and graceful. Captain Pipon, after describing the tasteful manner in which a young girl made, in his presence, a little shade, or parasol, of green leaves, adds, the same young girl accompanied them to the boat, carrying on her shoulders as a present, a large basket of yams, "over such roads, and down such precipices, as were scarcely passable by any creatures except goats, and over which we could scarcely scramble with the help of our hands. Yet with this load she skipped from rock to rock like a young roe."

      Captain Pipon gives his separate testimony to the devout character of the islanders: —

      "What delighted us most," he says, "was the conviction that John Adams had impressed on the minds of these young people, of the propriety and necessity of returning thanks to the Almighty for the many blessings they enjoy. They never omit saying grace before and after meals, and never think of touching food without asking a blessing from Him who gave it. The Lord's Prayer and the Creed they repeat morning and evening.'

      The next recorded visit to Pitcairn's Island is that of Captain

Beechey, in the Blossom. This was in the year 1825. John Adams was then in his sixty-fifth year, and had become somewhat corpulent. "He was dressed in a sailor's shirt and trowsers, and a low-crowned hat, which he held in his hand until desired to put it on. He still retained his sailor's manners, doffing his hat and smoothing down his bald forehead whenever he was addressed by the officers of the Blossom." This venerable patriarch, the king and priest of the island, died in March, 1829. Captain Beechey gives the same favourable testimony to the moral and religious character of these interesting islanders as had been given by preceding visitors: —

      "The Sabbath is wholly devoted to the Church Service, to prayer, reading, and serious meditation. No work of any kind is done on that day — not even cooking. I attended their Church," he says, "and found the service well conducted; the prayers were read by Adams, and the lessons by Buffett, the service being preceded by hymns. The greatest devotion was apparent in every individual; and in the children there was a seriousness unknown in the younger part of our communities at home. In the course of the Litany they prayed for their sovereign and all the royal family with much apparent loyalty and sincerity. . . . A sermon followed, which was well delivered by Buffet, and lest any part of it should be forgotten, or escape attention, it was read three times! The whole concluded with hymns, which were first sung by the grown people, and afterwards by the children."

      John Adams was by the necessity of his position the priest of this small island flock. He had joined every couple in marriage, and, what may be regarded as symbolical of the union of every family with the rest in that small community, he had on every occasion made use of the same ring.

      Captain Beechey did not fail to represent to the authorities at home the wants of the islanders in respect to many necessary articles of clothing, as well as of agricultural implements, and the government considerately sent out a store of such things to be despatched to them from Valparaiso. This service was performed by Captain (now Lord) Waldegrave, in the Seringapatam. As soon as he landed in company with the chaplain and some of his officers, finding several persons assembled to meet him, he said, "I have brought you a Clergyman." "God bless you," issued from every mouth, "but is he come to stay with us?" "No." "You bad man, why not?" "I cannot spare him, he is the Chaplain of my ship; but I have brought you clothes and other articles which King George has sent you." "But," said Betty Quintal, "we want food for our souls."

      Captain Waldegrave is another independent witness to the amiable character of the Pitcairn Islanders. "The children," he says, are attached and dutiful; the parents affectionate and kind: no harsh word is ever heard, and slander is unknown among them." He was much struck with the strictness of their religious observances, and remarks, as others before him had done, how scrupulously they gave thanks, before sitting down to any meal, while "on the arrival of any one during the repast, all of them paused until the new guest had said

grace." Mr. Watson performed evening service on the day of their arrival, and when the general confession commenced, they all knelt down facing the Clergyman, with their hands raised to the breast in the attitude of prayer, and slowly and distinctly repeated the office after him. His sermon on the text "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" being ended, they sang the hymn of departure.

      With these references to the past history, we proceed to lay before our readers some extracts of the letters with which we have been favoured. It is natural that every Captain or Commander whose course leads him near an island which has acquired a romantic interest should be anxious to visit it. This was the case with Captain Hope, who commanded the Thalia on the Pacific Station in 1844. His intention to call at the Island on his passage from Tahiti to Valparaiso was frustrated by strong contrary winds, but the sympathy which he felt for the inhabitants induced him to send them many useful presents. As it is very rare that any vessels except American whalers go near Pitcairn's Island, for there is literally no harbour, the box containing the presents did not reach the people for whom it was intended until Feb. 1847, and for like reasons an interval of two years occurred before the acknowledgment of it in the following letter, addressed to Captain Hope, was received: —

"Pitcairn's Island, South Pacific Ocean, July 10, 1847.     

      "Honourable Sir, — On the 26th of February last, H. B. M. S. Spy arrived here, bringing your very acceptable present and most interesting letters. At a meeting held shortly after, at which all the inhabitants over eighteen years of age (male and female) were present, I was requested to write a letter of thanks in the name, and on behalf of the whole community, and I now take up my pen for that purpose.     *   *   *   *   *

      "We were very much grieved at the fortuitous circumstances which deprived us of the benefit of your very desirable visit — desirable to us in an especial manner; for we want some persons to visit us whose intelligence and position in society would give weight to their representations, satisfy the inquiries of the many friends who so kindly interest themselves in our welfare, and refute the preposterous incongruities which have gone abroad respecting Pitcairn's Island. Now, had we been so fortunate as to have received the intended visit of your Honour and the Rev. Mr. Moody, it would have been most opportune; for you would have come in the right spirit, and, by spending a few days amongst us, might have ascertained exactly the position in which we stand both in spiritual and temporal matters; and, in the event of inquiry, have given a verdict in accordance with our deserts. And now, Sir, I would respectfully beg leave to call your attention to the following items: —

      "The number of inhabitants at the present time amounts to one hundred and thirty-eight — seventy-one males, three of which are English, and sixty-seven females, one of which is a Tahitian, who came hither in the Bounty; the rest are natives. For nineteen years, I have held the very responsible situation of Pastor and Schoolmaster in this place, and honestly believe I have been of some benefit to those under my charge; but I do earnestly wish I could be more formally inducted, or licensed to the office I sustain. Perhaps, honoured Sir, considering the necessity of the case, you would be pleased to interest yourself in my behalf, and apply to the proper authority

for the sanction and licence the peculiar situation of myself and charge do most undoubtedly require. My situation, though an interesting one, is not a sinecure. Fifty-four children attend the public school five days in the week, on Wednesday afternoon a Bible class for the adults, and on Sunday Divine Service twice, in conformity with the established Church of England, of which all are members. We are very much in want of Church Prayerbooks, and Watts' Psalms and Hymns, for public worship. Elementary books for the younger classes in the school, and Walkingame's, or other books on arithmetic, for the more advanced classes. There are two other things indispensably necessary to the temporal welfare of the community, viz., a cast-iron hand-mill for grinding Indian corn, and a medicine chest; there is a great amount of sickness on the island, and the want of proper remedies to apply frequently causes me much anxiety; the trifling quantity of medicines obtained from the whale ships which touch here occasionally, is quite inadequate to our necessities; and, if your Honour would obtain a supply for us, it would confer a lasting favour upon us all.

      "You very affectionately observe in your letter that we are British subjects; I believe our Island is an anomaly within the precincts of Polynesia. The inhabitants are all British subjects, the English language only is spoken; 'the flag that braved a thousand years the battle and the breeze,' waves over our heads on Sundays and other proper occasions, and all are members of the Protestant Episcopal Church of England. I do not make this last remark out of any party spirit, or disrespect to the Dissenting members of the Church of Christ, but offer the right hand of fellowship, without distinction, to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.     *   *   *   *   *   *   *

      "I will trouble you with a letter occasionally, if I have permission, and can obtain your address.

(Signed)	"George H. Nobbs, Pastor.
	Charles Christian, Magistrate.
	Simon Young, Councillor.
	John Adams, Councillor.

      "Captain Charles Hope, R.N."

      This acknowledgment of their pastor was, however, by no means deemed sufficient to express the full gratitude of the people, and they accordingly wrote the following joint letter to their benefactor: —

"Pitcairn's Island, South Pacific Ocean, July 10, 1847.     

      "Honoured Sir, — We, the undersigned inhabitants of Pitcairn's Island, beg leave to return our grateful acknowledgments for your most acceptable present, contained in three boxes, and brought to us by H. B. M. S. Spy. Your very kind and interesting letters we set great store by; and, as it is a custom with us, at all our public meetings, to read over the various letters sent us at different times, we can assure you that yours will be frequently read, and gratefully commented upon for the benefit of the rising generation. Our Pastor has, by public request, written you a letter; its contents we are acquainted with; but there is one request contained in it, we would in an especial, but respectful manner, present to your notice. Our number now amounts to one hundred and thirty-eight, and is rapidly increasing; our teacher, who is a worthy man, and whose services are of great value to us, has never received the sanction or licence of the proper authorities in the Church, to qualify him for the very important and prominent situation he fills. He is most anxious, and we are no less so, that he should be more formally inducted into the office of Pastor, and for this purpose our humble request to you is, that you will (if it can be done with

propriety) make our case known to the Bishop of London, or some other competent dignitary, who would send a pastoral letter to our teacher, sanctioning and confirming him in the sacred office he for nineteen years has held among us.

      "We extremely regret the circumstances which prevented your visiting us; it would have been (humanly speaking) one of the happiest occurrences possible; we should have been delighted with your company and that of the Rev. Mr. Moody; besides, it would have been a prime opportunity of satisfying our many friends and well-wishers in England, as to our actual state and progress since the death of the respected John Adams, and would have effectually silenced some ill-natured and ill-founded reports which have gone abroad. We could have promptly supplied you with wood, water, and sweet potatoes and yams, at that season of the year. In respect of fire-wood, it is very rare indeed that we cannot succeed in getting it on board a ship-of-war from some part of the island, let the weather be as it may. Ships can obtain water with great facility in moderate weather. But we fear we shall not now have an opportunity of convincing you with what alacrity and good-will we would swim the fire-wood off to your boats, or fill your water-casks. Be pleased to write to us more than once, that since we are denied the happiness of personal acquaintance we may be enabled, at our public meetings, to speak of your welfare, and repeat your kind instructions and friendly assurances to the rising generation. We beg leave to subscribe ourselves, most respectfully and gratefully, your very humble servants,

(Signed)	Charles Christian, Magistrate.	John Quintall.
	Simon Young, Councillor.	Jonathan Adams.
	John Adams, Councillor.	Phillip Mccoy.

      "In the name and on behalf of the Community.
                (Signed)            "David Buffett, Amanuensis."

      We cannot refrain from subjoining a third letter, that of the school children, especially as it contains an account of their studies, and exhibits, probably, a larger proportion of children under education than is to be found in any other part of the British dominions: —

"Pitcairn's Island, South Pacific Ocean, August 11, 1847.     

      "Dear and Honoured Sir, — Our teacher read to us your most affectionate letter; and we his scholars have read it more than once, and will treasure its benevolent advice in our minds, as a rule of conduct. We much regret the untoward circumstances which frustrated your intended visit. For it would have been to us both a pleasure and reward, if our educational acquiremerts had merited your approbation and that of the Rev. Mr. Moody. We attend school five days in the week,-five hours each day. Our routine of school duties is as follows, viz.:-Commence with prayer and praise; conclude with the same; Monday, recital of weekly tasks, reading the Holy Scriptures, writing, arithmetic, and class spelling; Tuesday, the same as on Monday; Wednesday, promiscuous reading (individually) in history, geography, transcribing select portions of Scriptures, &c.; Thursday, similar to Monday and Tuesday; and on Friday, which is the busiest day of the week, transcribe words with their definitions from Walker's Dictionary, read hymns, or other devotional and moral poetry, repeat Watts and the Church Catechism, arithmetical tables, &c. &c. and emulative spelling concludes the whole; we are generally an hour longer at school this day than any other. On Wednesday afternoon, the elder scholars attend the Bible class with their parents. On the Sabbath, divine service

is performed twice, and all who can possibly attend, do so. The contents of the box so kindly sent us by the Rev. Mr. Thompson received so much injury from wet before it reached us as to be nearly useless; we regret this much, because we are greatly in need of school requisites generally. If the request is not improper, will you, honoured Sir, procure for us some copy-slips, or models for writing, and a few of Walkingame's arithmetics, with a key to the same; for we often hear our teacher say, if he had these helps his work would be much easier; and we heartily wish he could obtain the means of making it so. We are indeed British subjects, and we think it a great privilege to be considered so, and when we see the Flag of Old England, waving from the staff in front of the school-house, we often remark to each other with grateful hearts, ‘That's our safeguard from the ugly French.'

      "As grateful scholars, we much regret the possibility of our beloved teacher being superseded, as you, honoured Sir, and the Rev. Mr. Moody seem to intimate in your letters. Whatever may be the qualifications of the person sent out, he can never be to us what our present pastor has been, and is. Fathers and mothers on their death-beds have bequeathed their children to his care-many of our parents have been educated by him—and we, his present pupils, from the time of our birth up to this day, have been cared for and watched over, with parental solicitude. Now, dear and honoured Sir, if you would obtain from the Bishop of London, or some other dignitary, a licence for our Pastor, confirming him in his present important situation, you would fill our hearts with joy; and we would trouble you with more than one letter expressive of our gratitude. Be pleased to present our humble respects to the Rev. Mr. Moody; and if he would condescend in preferring our request, it would greatly enhance the obligations we are already under.

      "We beg leave, honoured Sir and friend, to subscribe ourselves your humble and obedient Servants, the School Children of Pitcairn Island.

"Martha Young, Amanuensis.     

((Signed)	"Mary Buffett.	Benjamin Christian.
	JemimaYoung.	David Buffett.
	Nancy Quintall.	Josiah Adams.
	Esther Nobbs.	Fletcher Nobbs.
	Louisa Quintall.	William Evans.
	Priscilla Christian.	Charles D. Christian.
	Jane McCoy.	Daniel McCoy.

"In the name and on behalf of the rest.

      "We certify the statements contained in this letter, and heartily concur in its requests.

(Signed)	Charles Christian, Magistrate.
	Simon Young, Councillor.
	John Adams, Councillor.

      "Captain Hope, R.N."

      These letters, it will be observed, date as long back as July and August 1847, though, for reasons already specified, they did not reach this country till December last. We are happy, therefore, to be in a position to add some more recent information. Last year a grant of books was made to the Islanders by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and the Rev. William Armstrong, the Chaplain at Valparaiso, through whom they were sent, has recently addressed to the Secretary a letter of thanks, from which we are permitted to

make the following extracts, very remarkably confirming the testimony of all who have in succession visited Pitcairn's Island, as to both the moral and physical character of the natives: —

"Valparaiso, Oct. 18, 1849.

      "An English man-of-war, the Pandora, has lately arrived direct from Pitcairn's Island, and the commander, Lieutenant Wood, and the officers, give the most pleasing and gratifying account of the happy state in which their little community were living (numbering seventy-five males and seventy-five females, exactly 150 persons). They are described as a remarkably strong and healthy people; for instance, a young woman, eighteen years of age, being accustomed to carry on her shoulders a hundred pounds weight of yams, over hills and precipitous places, and for a considerable distance, where one unaccustomed to such exercise would scarcely be able to scramble. And a man of sixty years old with ease carried the surgeon of the Pandora up a steep ascent, from the landing-place, that he had himself in vain attempted to mount, the ground being very slippery from recent rains; and the officer being a large man, six feet high, renders it the more surprising. Indeed, Lieutenant Wood said he was himself borne aloft in the arms of a damsel, and carried up the hill with the utmost facility. But this is a digression which I did not intend. You will be glad to hear that they are all well educated, the young men being instructed in navigation and some of the lower branches of mathematics; and that they live together in the greatest harmony, and in the strictest observance of religious duties — public, family, and private — with every appearance of perfect freedom from all crime, and bearing the stamp of extreme innocence and simplicity. A new regulation had been recently made for the distribution of all their books among the families, they having been before kept as public property, as it was believed they would be more read and valued in that way; and for which purpose shelves had been put up in all their houses, which are very neat and comfortable, though more like ship cabins than dwelling-houses. The reason they give for this arrangement is, that they are in the habit of walking into each other's houses with the same freedom as into their own, and, taking up a book, will sit down and read it aloud, or not, as they feel disposed. The Society's books went to them in good time, some of them particularly suited, in their being several copies of the same work, such as the Homilies and others. I requested them to acknowledge the receipt of the Society's very liberal grant, and their letter shall be forwarded immediately on my receiving it.

      "In the meantime, please to present my very sincere and grateful thanks to the Committee, for their most obliging attention to my petition on behalf of this poor, though happy little community.

(Signed)                  "Wm. Armstrong.

"The Rev. Thomas B. Murray."

      We may safely leave the foregoing letters to tell their own tale. But what answer shall be made to the prayer which they contain? Whether it be better to bring home for ordination the good pastor Nobbs, or to send out a duly ordained missionary from this country, it is for our ecclesiastical superiors to decide. But whatever be determined upon, we trust that a body of our fellow-subjects, who, sprung from mutineers and murderers, seem, from a concurrence of testimony, to be leading a life of primitive simplicity, and to be unstained with any crime, will, one way or the other, be ere long provided with the full ministrations of the Church of England.

      One should almost desire to select pupils from such a school for education in St. John's College, New Zealand, as Missionaries to Otaheite, and the islands of the Pacific. Mysterious, indeed, are the ways of Providence! Already a handful of desperadoes have grown into a singularly moral and virtuous society. It may be their destiny to spread themselves over many of the Society and Friendly Islands, which are either wholly uninhabited, or thinly occupied by people speaking the same language as themselves; and more than this, it may be in the order of Providence, that these same descendants of a mutinous crew shall be made the means of diffusing Christianity and civilization throughout the islands of the Southern Pacific. Our Church has a call there which has been too long disregarded — are not even now the isles of the sea waiting for her?

"Pitcairn's Island".
      Colonial Church Chronicle and Missionary Journal, v.3, No.33 (March 1850)
pp.334-342

Pitcairn's Island  Source  Whalesite