Revised Jun 1 2021
AS was to be expected, the first weeks that followed the arrival of the second party were very busy weeks indeed. They were housed as well as could be managed in the two small dwellings of the families that first came. But the inconveniences attendant on such crowded accommodations were cheerfully borne. In a short time a temporary abode for each family of the newcomers had been erected, into which they removed until their permanent homes should have been built. As all the men and boys took hold of the work, willingly and cheerfully helping each other, the building business progressed rapidly.
A pleasant break in the busy weeks was the visit of Admiral Sir John Kingcome in his flagship, the Sutlej, on the 29th of March, 1864. The day was perfect, with scarce a ripple on the sea, and the sky was wearing its loveliest blue. The sight of the large boats crowded with men going and returning between the shore and the ship, was greatly enjoyed by the islanders. A large crowd both of officers and men landed, and all seemed to enjoy their visit much, and they gladly availed themselves of the privilege of taking free whatever the island produced. The young gentlemen manifested a great deal of interest in the preparation of a dinner gotten up for them in the island style, especially that part of it which consisted of the dressing of a pig and cooking it in the primitive under ground oven, a favorite mode of cooking meat among the people.
In the afternoon, as the people had been kindly invited to visit the ship, nearly all went on board, and had a delightful time visiting the different parts of the large vessel, and listening with thrilling pleasure to the band as it discoursed sweetest music. The visit of the Sutlej was opportune as regarded one young man, at least. He had a wound in the right knee which threatened to prove fatal, but the surgeon of the ship, having examined it, probed the wound and applied the proper remedies. The cure that followed was rapid and complete. In the long interval that followed the admiral's coming, when the islanders seemed to have been shut completely out from the rest of the world, the pleasure that his visit gave still remained as a bright spot in the round of their monotonous lives.
At this time the chief concern of the people was to build a suitable house for public worship. Services were held in one of the dwelling houses, which, although there was room enough to accommodate comfortably the two families that had first come, was now too small for the increased number of worshipers. As soon, then, as these later arrivals had been settled with some degree of comfort, the work of building the church and schoolhouse combined began. Willing hands made light work, and, notwithstanding the lack of workers, the plain wooden structure, with thatched roof, was duly finished and consecrated to divine service. It was a glad day when the small congregation met for the first time within its humble walls to worship God, nor was the worship less fervent because above them there was only a bare, thatched roof. Simon Young now stood as leader of the people, and, in addition to his services for the spiritual welfare of the people, took upon himself the task of instructing, to the best of his ability, the youth and children in the "three R's"—reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. Having brought from Norfolk Island a small supply of schoolbooks, he was able with their help to guide the young and ignorant minds into the pursuit of something higher than the searching for hens' eggs and their own self-pleasing.
Possessing a fair knowledge of simple music, he also with the small means at command, taught the children to sing. After leading them through the simplest airs, he taught them, and with great success, to sing in four parts, and the fact that out of a class of fifteen ten were able to read music by sight, gave him great encouragement in that branch of his work. Beginning life anew, house building and cultivating the ground for the support of a large family left him scarcely any leisure for self-improvement, but what he was able to do he did faithfully. In cultivating the land, wife and children assisted, thus lightening the heavy duties of the husband and father. No work was allowed to supersede that which was the dearest aim and object of his whole life, namely, seeking to instill knowledge into the minds of the young, and helping to train them to love what is good and pure and true, and to inspire them to search for themselves the treasures of knowledge that may be obtained in the works of other men, some few volumes of which he possessed. He also organized a Sunday school, at first taking all the labor upon himse1f and, as the necessity arose, appointing others to assist him.
In December of 1864 six of the young people— three of the older settlers and three of the others—were united in the bonds of matrimony, the wedding taking place on Christmas day. To the younger portion of the community, at least, the excitement of a triple wedding was a very pleasant thing to happen to break the monotony of their quiet and secluded lives.
In 1866 a man-of-war, the Mutine, called at the island, bringing letters from relatives and friends on Norfolk Island, the first word that had been received from them since the parting, nearly three years before. The day was a stormy one in November—so stormy that the ship was delayed only long enough to deliver the mail, one canoe with two men in it having successfully passed through the heavy breakers and the tossing sea to reach the ship. The news brought was mostly sad, for the deaths of several dear friends were recorded, but that which more than any other affected the people deeply was the tidings of the death of Edwin Nobbs and Fisher Young, who had been shot by the natives of Santa Cruz, when, with the bishop of Melanesia, they visited that place. Although the two young men had been dead two years before the tidings reached them, the loss of their first born son came upon the parents of Fisher Young with all the shock of a sudden and unexpected bereavement, and the heartrending cries of the mother bespoke the grief felt for her son. He had been consecrated to God before his birth, and his chosen path was that of a missionary, nor was it small comfort to his parents that his last dying message was, "Tell my father that I died in the path of duty." Great sorrow prevailed among the little community when the sad news was received, and many tears were shed for those who had gone, especially for the two young men, who were loved and respected by all.
The Rev. G. H. Nobbs, Edwin's father, wrote a hymn on the sad occasion, which was frequently sung by the people of Norfolk Island, to the tune Jerusalem the Golden (Ewing). A copy of the words and music was sent to their friends on Pitcairn Island. Following is the hymn, which was soon learned and frequently sung:—
"O Lord, the heathens' madness
Has caused our tears to flow;
Yet still, amid our sadness,
This thought assuages woe,—
There's naught on earth progressing
That's hidden from Thy sight,
Correcting, as in blessing
'Shall not our God do right?'
"Our loved ones' toils are over,
Life's transient journey sped,
Till earth her slain discover,
And ocean yields her dead;
Then at their Lord's appearing,
Decked with the martyrs' crown,
And spotless raiment wearing,
Shall as His seed be known.
'We kiss the hand that smote us,
And bow before the rod;
Thou hast in mercy taught us
To know that Thou art God.
With undisguised submission
We would approach Thy throne,
Presenting this petition,
'Thy will, 0 Lord, be done.'"
There had been two deaths on the island since the second party arrived, and those took place within a few weeks of each other. The first was that of Hannah Young, John Adam's youngest daughter, in her sixty-third year; the other a young girl, both victims of consumption.
During the year 1867 the people had the pleasure of enjoying the visits of the royal mail steamers Rakaia and Kaikoura. The former called three times, and the latter once, before the Panama line was broken up. The account of the Rakaia's first visit, written by a gentleman of the name of Duke, who was a passenger on board, and which was published in the Leisure Hour for 1868 or 1869, eventually reached the island, and was read with much interest by the people. The illustration that accompanied the article caused a great deal of amusement, as it represented a canoe ornamented with cocoanut leaves and loaded with fruit, being paddled off to a vessel in the distance. The canoe had two occupants, each one clad in a smal1 waistcloth as his only covering. The representation was not very true to fact. As a further illustration of what those in the outside world knew about the little isolated rock and the people upon it, may be told the following little incident:—
About two years before the Rakaia's call, a merchant vessel, the John L. Demock, on her passage from the Australian colonies to San Francisco, lay becalmed for two nights and a day off the island. The ship was not seen, as she came in on the south side of the island. On the second day, as the people on board saw no boat from the shore nor any other sign that the island was inhabited, they lowered a boat, and its crew, with several gentlemen passengers, pulled for the shore. The people on shore descried the boat only when she was within a short distance from land, and a canoe or two put off to meet and welcome the strangers, and show them the landing place. It was an agreeable surprise to the visitors to find themselves addressed in the English language, and the hearty welcome extended to them, and the warm invitation to come and partake of the hospitalities of the island, entirely disarmed them of their fears, and they hastily hid away the weapons of defense with which they had come well armed in case of a hostile attack. Their stay of a day and a night was sufficient to prove that nothing but good will was felt toward them by all, and on leaving they took with them their boat loaded down with all that the island could supply. On reaching the ship they found their companions getting ready another boat and more weapons to come in search of them, fearing that they might have fallen in with enemies. But the long detention was happily explained, and the good ship soon was on her way again. Some questions that have been put to those who go on board ship, even at this late date, are very amusing. "Do you know what that is?" was asked of one of the islanders, the article in question being a lump of sugar. "Can you read writing?" "Can anyone on the island read?" or, "You do not know what reading is?" and similar questions have been earnestly asked by some who for the first time have become acquainted with the people.
In March of 1868 John Buffett, now over seventy years of age, but still hale and active, came to visit his only daughter, Mrs. Mary Young. Everybody was glad to welcome the old man, whom no one had expected to see again. In June of the same year the Ashburton, from the colonies, made a call, stopping for a day and a night. Her captain, Smith, was a former acquaintance, and now, as a large company of passengers was with him, he kindly allowed them to come ashore and spend the day. The ladies and gentlemen were not slow to avail themselves of the kind permission, and the pleasure of their short visit was as much enjoyed by the islanders as by themselves. A table long enough for the whole party was spread, around which they all sat down to a dinner that had been hastily gotten up for them. In the evening some of the company belonging to an opera troupe, led by Mr. Fred Lyster and Miss Minnie Walton, sang a few of their songs for the entertainment of the people, and in return the schoolchildren sang some of their part songs. These ended, the visitors took their leave, as night had come on, but the beautiful moon, shining its full brilliancy, lighted the way over the rippling waters, as the boat, weighed down with its living human freight, glided on its way, after the hearty "Godspeed" had been spoken.
In July, 1872, John Buffett returned to Norfolk Island on the whale ship Sea Ranger, accompanied by one of his grandsons and another young man. They were received by their relatives and friends on Norfolk Island with every demonstration of joy, their unexpected arrival causing intense excitement. Every attention was shown them, and feast and dance were gotten up in behalf of their visitors. On receiving an invitation to visit the pretty chapel and grounds of the Melanesian Mission, they went, and were impressed with the order and neatness that prevailed everywhere. The orderly behavior of the students, and the exactness which characterized the arrangements of the whole establishment, under the able management of Mr. R. H. Codrington, who was during that time at the head of the mission, called forth their highest admiration, and repeated visits only served to strengthen the impressions at first received that a noble work was being done at the mission.
The bishop of Auckland, New Zealand, was at the same time on a visit to Norfolk Island, and during his stay confirmed some of the young people, of which act he makes mention in his "Notes of a Visit to Norfolk Island," as follows:—
"November 16, Saturday. I had a class of young people from the settlement (i. e., the home of the quondam Pitcairners) who were to be confirmed on the following day. . . . My class was held in St. Barnabas Chapel. Afterwards I received a visit from two young men, James Russell McCoy and Benjamin Stanley Young (brother of Fisher Young, killed at Santa Cruz in 1864), who had recently come by a whaling vessel from Pitcairn's Island. They wished to be admitted to confirmation, and I was very glad that they should be', after having some conversation with them upon the subject."
Besides the confirmation service, Bishop Cowie ordained three deacons from among the Melanesians. This ceremony was witnessed by the two young men with much interest. The service was performed in the church of the Norfolk islanders, a building which had been completed by them a short time before, and of which they were justly proud, the whole being designed and finished by themselves. It had been dedicated under the name of All Saints. Bishop Cowie's "Notes" thus make mention of the ordination service:—
"The ordination was held at eleven o'clock, morning prayer having been said for the Norfolk islanders at an earlier hour by Mr Nobbs, the chaplain of the settlement. It was at first intended to hold the ordination at St. Barnabas, but as in that case the Norfolk islanders could not have been present at the service, owing to the smallness of the mission chapel, it was thought better that the Melanesians should go down to the settlement (three miles distant), the new church there, All Saints, being large enough to hold all the church-going population of the island. . . . The venerable pastor of the quondam Pitcairn islanders, the Rev. G. H. Nobbs, assisted me at the ministration of the holy communion, . . . the communicants numbering over a hundred. Whilst the clergy were communicating, Heber's beautiful hymn, 'Bread of the world in mercy broken,' was softly and sweetly sung by the congregation. . . .
"In the afternoon at three o'clock I held a confirmation at All Saints for the Norfolk islanders. The preface to the confirmation service was read by the Rev. G. H. Nobbs, whose granddaughter, Catherine Nohbs*, played the harmonium accompaniment at both the services. Twenty young people were confirmed (including the two lately arrived from Pitcairn's Island), nearly all being descendants of the Bounty mutineers. The hymns were particularly well sung by nearly the whole congregation, one of them to the tune Cambridge New, said to have been a great favorite with Bishop Patteson. A son and a daughter of John Adams, of the Bounty, viz., George Adams and Rachel Evans, both over seventy years of age, were at the service, and I went to see Arthur Quintall, now quite imbecile, the son of another of the mutineers."
∗ [Rev. Nobbs had no granddaughter named Catherine, neither through his sons nor his daughters.]
The three aged persons above mentioned were the only survivors on Norfolk Island of the children of the mutineers, for death had taken away many of the people in the space of nine years. In 1868 a malignant fever swept like a blasting wind over the island, and many of the people died, so that the two young Visitors missed the faces of many a dear relative and friend whom they still remembered well. Several other changes had taken place on the island. The people had in many instances removed to their own allotments of land, and were now living widely separated from one another.
The visit, of nearly three months' duration, was rendered as delightful and pleasing as possible, and they left their kind friends with feelings of hope as well as of sorrow, for the young men had expectations returning again to live on the island before many years had passed. On leaving, letters from the people on Norfolk Island were given them to take home. These letters contained strong advice and earnest entreaties to their friends on Pitcairn Island to return to them and live together in one community as before. Every argument that could be brought to bear on the subject was used to induce the Pitcairners to return to Norfolk Island. When the letters were, on their arrival, read to the people, and the question thoroughly discussed, the majority favored the proposal. That all obstacles should be removed, their friends had generously offered to charter and fit out a vessel at their own expense for the purpose of conveying them back to Norfolk Island, promising also that if they should return their former grants of land would be restored to them. The condition was that all should return, as otherwise they could scarcely be expected to put themselves to such an expense. Naturally, most of the younger members of the community were eager to return, and some among the older ones were not unwilling. But a few of the families were determined to remain where they were, and there the matter ended.
One argument given in favor of their return was the change that Pitcairn Island had undergone in the space of a very few years. Extreme scarcity of water was a source of much discomfort and anxiety to the inhabitants, and the soil, that had formerly been so productive, seemed now to have lost its remarkable fertility. The yam crop, which hitherto had yielded so well, and had been one of the principal food supplies, now failed almost entirely. Nor did the sweet potato escape the general plague, for a very troublesome blight would attack the young plantation, completely preventing its growth, and when the tubers became matured, they were often infested by a destructive worm, that worked untold mischief among them.
The breadfruit, too, yielded to the general decline, and splendid trees that once bent beneath their wealth of fruit, began to decay, and failed gradually to produce fruit, until they ceased almost entirely. Other fruit trees were more fortunate and did not suffer as much as the food-producing plants. Around the entire island, along the edge, or precipice, where once had flourished a thick growth of stunted, hardy trees, could now be seen bare, barren soil, free to be washed away by heavy rains. During this period, when the island was undergoing such a change, it was subject to frequent seasons of drought. The water supply daily diminished, and the springs that in former years had been ceaselessly flowing now dried up, with but two exceptions. Such was the condition of Pitcairn Island when the request from Norfolk Island that the community might remove thither was sent. But the conditional proposition was not accepted, and it was never again renewed.