Pitcairn's Island  Notes  Source  Whalesite

Report of Captain Doughty (H.M.S. Constance)
to Rear-Admiral Lyons
(March 31, 1884),
including a copy of the Pitcairn Island laws
as at 19 March 1884.

No. 10.

Sir,

      As stated in my Letter of Proceedings of 14th April 1884, I arrived off Pitcairn's Island in H.M.S."Constance" on the morning of the 18th of March. Shortly after "heaving to" I was boarded by Benjamin Young, Chief Magistrate for the current year, James R. McCoy, Chief Magistrate for 1882, Thursday October Christian, Chief Magistrate for 1882, and several others. It appeared they had not seen the ship till she rounded Adam's Rock into Bounty Bay. When steam was ready, furled sails, and anchored in 17½ fathoms – sand.

2.          After some general conversation with Young and Mc Coy, I landed in the galley, taking Mc Coy with me, the rest followed shortly after in their whale boats.

3.          From the landing there is a narrow steep footworn path up the irregular cliffs of rock and earth amid bushes and ferns to the higher ground above, on which the cottages are built. The cottages, seventeen in number, are scattered about in some places two or three may stand near each other, most have outhouses for cooking and storing wood, agricultural implements etc. The Church and Schoolroom is a long wood style and rafter thatched building, seating for 90 people being partitioned off at East and for the Church with a Communion rail dividing off the "Minister" and harmonium from the congregation. The School portion of the building has seating sufficient for the entire present community — 104 — of all ages and both sexes — this building has five doors — three at side facing the sea — two on North side — there is a door through from Schoolroom to Church.

Rear Admiral
      Lyons.
Commander in Chief, Pacific.

4.          The place of "Minister" is filled by Simon Young, who, as far as he is able, takes the place of the Revd: G. Nobbs, now at Norfolk Island. Young seems a simple minded, honest intentioned, inoffensive man, well up in years, quiet in manner, evidently respected. He officiates as a "Clerk" administers the Sacrament, marries, christens, and buries as needs require. He and his eldest daughter, a single woman of 32, Rosaline Young, conduct and manage the School, "Gratis". She seems capable in the matter of control, has a pleasant face and a very happy manner, and yet a quiet self possession that made me remark her, and though so different in outward form, I was reminded by her of Miss Weston, of Naval Temperance Fame. She came on board the next day, with nearly the whole community, and seemed as pleasantly at ease with her friends forward, as aft. Being asked to play the harmonium, she soon attracted a good many with a fiddle or two to assist her. She has a quiet kindly dignity which drew and elicited the sympathies of her audience, who joined in with their voices. Her manner being like Miss Weston, I found had been remarked by others. I have rather mentioned her in particular, as I shall James R. Mc Coy, because they seemed to me two distinctive and superior characters in the Community. Her mother was just married when I was here in the "Portland" and is now a remarkable young looking, active, quick witted woman of 55, and wife of Simon Young the Minister. She went through on her finger ends all the Officers and Midshipmen of the "Portland" "Daphne", "Dido" and "Amphitrite", who visited the Island about that time. James Russel Mc Coy has much more of the Englishman in his features, colour, manner, and tone of thought than any of the other men now on this Island of the original stock. It was under his administration that the School and Church were built. He is business like, and I hear

made them work setting example himself, but they don't like it. In talking with him, he said "I cannot persuade them it is not sufficient that we should be content to only just do as much work as will keep our cottages together, and produce sufficiency of food". He has been to England — the Captain of a Merchant ship that had called several times at last persuaded him to accompany him. He appears to have been very pleasantly taken notice of by several people in good social position while there, and to have been very favourably impressed. The uncetainty and cold of our climate in no way having sealed up his power of taking notice and appreciating the vastness of London, and the intense business of everybody, whether at Liverpool, where he had spent the most of his time with the friend that took him home, or in London, he seems to have been much impressed with our enormous capacity for work. He spoke very sensibly of their own position "that it was folly, to expect that the English Government could be expected to support them, or again go to the expense of transporting them should their Island be again overstocked". He seems to think it was great folly — his own word was ingratitude — returning to Pitcairn, after all the expense the Crown had been put to in clearing out Norfolk Island, leaving them the buildings, roads, and 50 acres of land apiece — he said "I was young and simple, came back here with my parents".

5.          They seem to have returned in small batches over the years 1859 to 1864, and I was further told that had the first batch which landed, been but a few hours later in landing, they would have found the French Flag flying. The Captain of a French Ship of War that arrived the day following their landing appears to have told them this, expressing surprise at finding the island re-occupied.

6.          While Mc Coy was in England, the "Acadia"of Liverpool was wrecked on Ducie Island, a coral reef 190 miles to the

Eastward of Pitcairn — the crew from which landed at Pitcairn June 1881. By passing vessels this crew were sent away, except two men, Albert J. Nolk, who married Mary Ann Young and Philip Coffin who married Mary Florence Warren, and allowed to remain on the Island.

7.          Albert Knight, boat-builder and carpenter by trade also of the "ACADIA" got engaged to Maria Jane Yougg, and their banns were published in the Church. The Islanders now professed to be alarmed at the inroad of strangers, but for the present, Knight did not leave. The matter was to be referred to the first (so they tell me) to the first Queen's Officer calling. This appears to have been Commander B.F. Clark in the "Sappho", who drew up a rule to meet the case (See No.12). Knight thought this very hard; however, he left in "Sappho" and. I learn is now in good business in Honolulo[sic]. Mc Coy had been written to and came out first opportunity, of which it appears there are many from Liverpool and San Francisco — from 18 to 24 Ships calling at Pitcairn during the year. He appears to have expressed his views very plainly about the matter, viz: — that they behaved weakly and foolishly in permitting these two men to remain on the Island: they brought not a penny to the island, but lived upon their wives' share of the family property: they knew no trade and therefore were useless, again in driving Knight away, they had done a real injustice to Maria since she had as much right to remain as the other two, and again the whole community had suffered by the last act, that whereas Volk and Coffin were useless interlopers, Knight was a useful tradesman, had repaired their boats, had half built a weaving loom, an art it would have been good for their women to learn instead of idling their time, and might have been a real use to the community. McCoy seemed to think it would have been better had the rule been made "Conditional" by Commander Clarke, instead of "Absolute", and I was half

inclined to think so at first, but seeing the weakness of the men and how impossible in a small community it would be — with women crying and appealing to them, (female suffrage exists here) to say "No" if they were permitted a discretion, I thought it best as it was and did not modify it, though asked by McCoy and the present Chief Magistrate, pointing out to them that the rule strengthened their hands against appeals, but that they might be slow to put it in force, if they came across a really useful man: again it would be of real value in deterring the overgrowth of the community and minimise the evil of continual sub division of property. I advised that for the present they should forbid marriage with strangers except under a binding condition that the man took his wife away to a home elsewhere, or brought some equivalent in property or skill as an Artificer to balance his wife's portion.

8.          Pitcairn is not such an unvisited isolated island as it was. Several ships have been lost lately an Ducie, Elizabeth, and Oeno islands. Their crews have made for Pitcairn in the first instance, and stayed longer or shorter periods. The "Cornwallis" was wrecked on Pitcairn in 1875, and the crew were on the island some weeks before getting away, the crew of the "Candish" lost at "Enoe"[sic] latter end of same year were 52 days before they all got away from Pitoairn, the "Allen Gowie" (?) crew, wrecked on Elizabeth in 1877, were on their way for Pitcairn when they were picked up by a passing vessel, and the crew of the "Acadia", wrecked in May 1881 on Ducie, as before stated, came here. The average of calls here of late years would appear to be about one ship in three weeks. Formerly the whalers resorted here, but they tell me they are seldom seen or heard of now. Of the two men Volk and Coffin, seamen of the "Acadia", Volk appears and is reported of, as a quiet inoffensive young man, and he looks

it. Coffin is a native of Nantucket, Mass. U.S. and looks over 45: Mary Jane Warren his wife is 16. Her mother married Samuel Warren a native of New Providence, Rhoda isle, when they were at Norfolk Island. They came to Pitcairn and he died 13th November 1877, aged 38. The widow has three male and six female children living with her. Coffin tells me he hopes to spend the rest of his life at Pitcairn. I do not think he is by any means a desirable character. His presence there is a mistake. He with his wife should be sent off to Gambia or one of the other islands, but he won't go if he can avoid it, the girl has her share of the family property and that she by custom takes when married, will grow there enough to live on; if he goes elsewhere, he will have to work, but he is likely to cause trouble at Pitcairn.

9.          There appear to be 104 souls on the island, of which, 49 are male, and 55 female. They have registered since returning from Norfolk isle, 12 marriages and 17 deaths, among the latter, 6th November, Elizabeth, wife of William Young, and daughter of John Mills of H.M.S."Bounty" aged 93. She is said to have been the second person born on the island after the landing of the Mutineers.

10.          In speaking of this people, I feel that great injustice may be done by drawing comparisons between the impressions retained of a visit made during the impressible days of youth, and the cooler judgment of to-day. Again one is very liable to be unfavourably impressed by the ill made slop clothing and dirty finery clothes sent them by well meaning friends at home. When I had last seen them, some were wearing blue skirts and white jackets, others the graceful white tappa dress or Otahaita, and for their heads a wreath of "red ever-lastings"; now we see pork-pie hats, tawdry ribbons, and brass, glass, and steel ornaments. These are

but outward signs, and I suppose it would be as impossible for these people to go back to the graceful dress of "Oberea" and "Pomare" as for ourselves to go back to the dress of the past. But they do appear to me, also, to have lost mucn of the activity of the past — their houses do not seem so clean — the gardens are now i11 kept — nothing looks trim or in order, the pleasant little open spaces and tidy kept places have disappeared, and their mountain paths as far as I saw, even those about the settlement and between the cottages are not in a creditable state: in short, the gardens, settlement and paths all look much neglected, and I feel convinced I am doing them no injustice when I say they do not keep their island in the order, or turn its great capabilities to the advantage their parents and grandparents did. Mr Nobbs was an Englishman and what is more a Seaman, and one of very varied experience, having been an Officer both in the Royal Navy, and under Lord Cochrane in Chili, such training taught him what could be done — what ought to be done — and how to set people to work to do it, What these people want is an Englishman in love with their cause, over tnem. One of tneir own people has not the independence for exercising sufficient autnority over them. I took it upon myself to tell the Chief Magistrate and McCoy that they must remember they claim English descent, they fly the English Flag, and speak the English tongue — (though I hear a native language is being taught them in their school at Norfolk Island, to supersede English: if so they will probably descend to the level of its civilisation and ideas — this may in part account for the retrogade movement among those who have returned to this island) that they must not be content to let nature take its course and themselves be idle — that they must show themselves worthy of that descent and put their settlement in order. Even John Adam' grave is so ill kept, that were it not for the head-

stone, I should not have observed it among the bushes.

11.          The schooling is done "gratis", which is another mistake. Mr Nobbs made them pay 1/- — a month — they were obliged to work to meet the fines and obligations imposed by him upon them.

12.          The enclosed list of rules copied from their Register Book are a very rudimentary code and oddly enough nothing definite as to fine or punishments. No.9 is scratched out, it is not very clear what was intended, perhaps No.19 has something to do with the same train of thought.

13.          Whether the people are really contented and happy would require some little stay among them to determine — apparently they are happy in a quiet sort of way, but they have not the light-hearted joyousness of the past — the women did not run out of their houses to welcome us, or the children run about with excitement and offer flowers and fruit — the tone of reception was staid and commonplace. The majority of females over males has doubtless a depressing effect and must in spite of all other of nature's blessings, tinge the temperament with sadness — numerically there are only 6 more femaies than males, but the numbers on the male side are made up by children who can never grow up to be husbands to the 15 or more marriageable single women. With education and knowledge will come a sense of the unsatisfactoriness of an ideal Arcadian life — human nature must deteriorate when there is no stimulus for work — savages always deteriorate when they give up fighting — civilised races have fortunately stimulus for exertion suited to peaceable times, and so advance; these people people are civilised but have no stimulus for exertion, no ambition, and the impression made on me is that they have gone back in the scale of human training, rather then forward. In the days of their ignorance and simplicity, tappa dresses and red wreaths, they were proud of themselves and worked to

show themselves, their houses and their island off to the best advantages: now they know themselves to be as the Americans express it "behind time" — hopelessly, and are contented to drift on.

14.          I have no reason for supposing they have departed with from the laws of that adhesion to propriety with which they have ever been accredited.

15.          What they require to save them from sinking into self-neglect and sloth is some one who will enforce order — tidiness, repair of public roads etc. in short, turn the rock into a Coast Guard Station, with a Chief Boatman-in-Charge, it would be a far pleasanter command than Ascension, giving him very general and open orders for several years: till the people were accustomed to work and saw the beauty that results from labour and order — With the Captain of a Queen's Ship their "Highest Appeal" as it is now in fact. — See "Power of the "Magistrate".

16.          These are many details, had time permitted I would have gone into, especially about their "woman suffrage" and voting which does not appear to have given satisfaction — also their property boundaries and family divisions of property wants looking into, and several other laws, customs etc., that would require time to investigate their origin or the necessity that called them into existence before expressing an opinion as to their worth or the injustice that might arise by altering them.

17.          The average school-attendance appears to be 32 children of both sexes — the schooling is simple and elementary, including sewing, but I am not inclined to think the people are much given to reading — they have a little public library — I remarked that the books looked in uncommon good order, suggesting that they were not much used or lent out, but old Simon Young said "they always take great care of them

and returned them when done with".

18.          Cattle they have none: they appear to have about 25 sheep, 60 pigs and 200 goats, many fowls: they are never short of water. The cement which I conveyed, sent them by the Admiralty will be of much use in making their reservoirs watertight and for lining small wells at high elevations. They are not an ingenious people: though they have no forge, they have every requisite for making one: McCoy has attempted this, and also since his return from England has led water down in a wood trough from the hills to the settlement. Their carpentering is of the rudest and only most necessary kind, there is no sense of pleasure in using a portion of their endless leisure in carving, ornamenting, or making what necessity does not compel: McCoy sees and laments this, and makes sticks of various woods for sale and presents: and Rose Younh has made and ornamented with work, a lot of baskets of palm fibre, in the hope of sending them to Mr Drew I understood (a Clergyman at Blackheath or somewhere about there) she says, she has been told they will sell and be regarded for their sake — (the Bounty Pitcairn Sentiment).

19.          Had there been any gen1us or proper ambition among them, they would have understood enough from Albert Knight and the work he left behind him to have completed the hand loom in some sort of workable form, and the women should have been started spinning yarn for its work, or preparing the cotton and thread they have, to experimentalise with, but nothing is done or will be as far as I can make out unless Knight return to complete what he has commenced. No, as I have before stated, I believe the only hope of staying the downfall of these Islanders in their home, would be to put them under an English Governor of some sort or other, and none by training would be better fitted than a Man-of-Wars man — an Officer or Warrant Officer — one without home ties

other than an able wife, prepared and willing to make this really pleasant island their home — and its advancement, his line of duty and obligation — and there are lots such.

I have etc.                 
(Sd.) F. Proby Doughty.
CAPTAIN.

Copy of a Copy.

            (Signed) Proby Doughty,

I solemnly swear in the presence of Almighty God, that I will execute the Office of Magistrate and Chief Ruler of Pitcairn Island, in subordination to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, as her representative, and that I will perform the duties of my office zealously, fearlessly, and without partiality to the utmost of my ability. — By the help of Almighty God.

The Magistrate is to preside on all public occasions, and if any case should be brought to his notice he is to hear both sides of the question, and to decide and pass judgment accordingly, and should his judgment be objected against, he is call his Councillors to his assistance, and should their decision be objected to, he is to call a jury of heads of families to whose decision the parties are to abide until the arrival of the first British Ship-of-War, to whose Commander the case must be submitted, and from whoe decision there is no appeal. Also the authority of enacting laws are invested into his hands, and to see all laws properly supported, and all fines duly executed, and to summon others to assist him in enforcing his authority. Also he can punish, in trivial matters of all description, when done or tend to evil, at his will.

Male and female at the age of twenty-one (21) and upwards. No one should be elected as Chief Magistrate under the age of thirty (30).

No one should be elected as First Councillor under the age of twenty-five (25).

The Chief Magistrate is to choose a second Councillor and Churchwarden.

The following order was pasted in: —

That from henceforth (July 2nd 1882) no more strangers are allowed to settle on the island.

      The above law was agreed to in my presence by all the heads of families assembled by Thursday October Christian, Chief Magistrate, in consequence of a dispute which was referred to me for decision.

(Signed) Bouverie F. Clark.         
Commander — H. M. S. "Sappho".
July 2nd 1882.     

      Pagination of the original typescript has been maintained.

      In March 1884 Rear-Admiral Algernon McLennan Lyons (1833 – 1908) was Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station

      Frederic Proby Doughty (1834 - 1892) was Captain of H.M.S. Constance in 1884.

Document no. 88. March 31, 1884. "Report of Captain Doughty (H.M.S. Constance) to Rear-Admiral Lyons, including a copy of the Pitcairn Island laws as at 19 March 1884". Page 1485.

Pitcairn's Island  Notes  Source  Whalesite