Revised Jun 21 2021
The reader may feel desirous of learning how this "Instruction for the Indians" had reached the island. It is satisfactory to find that Pitcairn's Island, as long since as the year 1819, partook of the benefits conferred by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. In the Society's transactions for that year, ten years before Adams's death, the following particulars appear, under the head of the Report from Calcutta; the Right Reverend Dr. Middleton being then Bishop of Calcutta, and President of the Calcutta Diocesan Committee:—
"In July 1819, an opportunity having occurred of communicating with the little colony on Pitcairn's Island in the South Pacific Ocean, by the departure from Calcutta of the ship Hercules for that place, the Committee were unwilling to lose so interesting an occasion of adding to the various benevolent contributions made for the use of those islanders. It having been intimated that a supply of Bibles had been furnished by another Committee, the Diocesan Committee made such a selection of other books and tracts as appeared most suited Jul 15, 1819 to the situation of these people, which, together with New Testaments, Prayer-books, and children's school-books, were placed under the care of Captain Henderson, accompanied by the following letter, addressed to John Adams and the other islanders, and dated Calcutta, July 15th, 1819: