The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-11-22 00:00:00

A VISIT TO PITCAIRN ISLAND.

Captain P. C. B. Robinson, of Her Majesty's ship Opal,
wrote to Rear-Admiral de Horsey, under date Valparaiso,
August 15, 1879, giving an account of a visit he had paid to
Pitcairn Island. The following are extracts from the
report:—

In compliance with your order to call at Pitcairn
Island on my way to Valparaiso in Her Majesty's ship
under my command, to convey an organ, a pre-
sent from Her Majesty the Queen to the Pitcairn
Islanders, I have the honour to report that I
left San Francisco on the 27th of May last, and
anchored off Bounty Bay, Pitcairn Island, on the
.2nd of July, and delivered to Mr. M'Coy, the magis-
trate and chief ruler, the organ, which was safely
landed the same evening. It was placed in the
Islanders' boat alongside the Opal, and although only
weighing about 5001 b„ its height (nearly six feet in
the case), made it an awkward and difficult thing
to secure in a light gig in so heavy a sea. Mr.
M'Coy, with a picked crew, took it on shore, and
It was most interesting to watch the skill with which
the boat was brought through the heavy surf; repeat-
edly, after starting from behind the rollers to come in,
she had to back out again clear of the surf till the
exact moment had arrived when, in obedience to a
signal from Thursday October Christian, perched high
on a rock directing those in the boat, she dashed in
during a quieter moment between the rollers, and was
quickly hauled up high and dry on the scrap of beach
behind the few rocks which form the slight pretection
to the landing, and without as much as even a spray
reaching the present, the Elate landing of which all
were watching with the greatest anxiety.
To Thursday October Christian, the oldest man on
the island, is assigned the responsible duty of piloting
their boat over the surf when it is dangerous, but the
right moment for coming in appeared to be known
to all, for simultaneously with Christian's signal
those around involuntarily cried out, "Now bring
her in ! " and I observed that they appeared to
watch out at sea for the right time more than the
rollers off the beach. But familiar as these nearly am-
phibious people are with their landing-place, and not-
withstanding their courage and wonderful skill,
serious accidents sometimes happen. Not long before
Our arrival their boat was upset in the surf, and all the
thwarts torn out of her, her crew being carried by the
undertow far out from the land. The place abounds
with sharks, but they do not fear them, and call them
"good shark," as they say they sometimes swim side
by side with them yet they have never touched an
islander. Their present boat is a light gig left by the
Cornwallis, an English vessel wrecked there in January
last year, to replace their whale boat which was
damaged beyond repair while saving the lives of the
crew of that ship; the gig appeared a nice boat well
adapted to their wants, but they said she was neither
so good nor so safe as a whale beat.

Owing to the heavy rain, the [narrow path up the
cliffs to Adamstown was so slippery, that we found
even climbing up it difficult; the sturdy inhabitants,
however, thought little of it, for they shouldered the
organ and walked it up to the top and to the church.
house without once pausing—no light feat considering
the state of the path and that their village is 210 feet
above the sea. The night had closed in before they
got it up, but the full moon which had jast risen made
the little village almost as light as day. It is difficult
to describe the gratitude of the islanders to Her
Majesty for the present, or their pleasure with
the form in which you placed the gift. The
whole community assembled to see the organ
unpacked and placed in the church-house, and
when there their first impulse and act was
the spontaneous bursting forth of "God save the
Queen," and as their sweet voices sang verse after
verse of our anthem, their earnestness and depth Of
feeling spoke more than words can convey their grati-
tude and loving loyalty to the Queen. This natural
expression of the fulness of their simple hearts was
eloquence they were unaware of, and touchingly con-
veyed thanks which they tried so often and so hard to
put into words. They appeared to have feared that
in leaving Norfolk island they might have been
thought ungrateful for that gift, and that in having
done so they incurred displeasure and had forfeited
their right to be considered belonging to England. A
present so unexpected from the Queen removed this
fear, and intensified a delight too real to be called ex-
travagant.
On the 3rd of July I asked the islanders to visit the
Opal, and with the exception of three women, who re-
mained to take care of the very youngest babies, I
think every soul came. Your recent visit makes it
unnecessary for me to do more than allude to the
simple piety-and moral excellence of these charming
islanders, whose guilelessness and affectionate hospi-
tality must win on the hearts of all who come in con-
tact with them; it did so with us, and I should be sorry
to lose this opportunity of mentioning opinions so much
in accord with those of previous visitors. They were
in great distress at having nothing they could think
worthy to offer for Her Majesty's acceptance, and
they brought off a model of one of their canoes, which
they ventured to hope the Queen would deign to re-
ceive from them. I have caused it to be securely
packed, and beg you will give me directions as to its
disposal.