The National Register.
London, England, 1815-12-24 00:00:00

THE NATION

DEC. gm.

•
they returned thanks to the Almighty for the many blessings they
enjoyed. They never failed to say grace before and after meals,
to pray every morning at sun-rise, and they frequently repeated
the Lord's Prayer and the Creed. It was truly pleasing," says
Capt. Pipon,' to see these poor people so well disposed, to listen
ao attentively to moral instruction, to believe in the attributes Of
Oed, and-to place their reliance on-divine goodness.
The day on which the two Captians landed was Saturday the 17th
September ; but by John Adams's account it was Sunday the tittle
and they were keeping the Sabbath by making it a day of rest and
Of prayer. This was occasioned by the Bounty having proceeded
thither by the eastern route, and our frigates having goni to the
westward ; and the Topaz found them right according to his own
reckoning, she having also approached the island front tee east-
ward. Every ship from Europe proceeding to Pitcairn's Island,
round the Cape of Geed Hope, will find them a day later—as those
who approach them round Cape Horne, a day in advance, as was
the case with Captain Folger, and the Captains Sir T. Staines
and Pipon.
The visit of the Topaz is, of course, as a notable circumstance,
marked down in John Adam's Journal. The first Ship that apl
peered off the island was on the 27th December, 1793 ; but as she
did not approach the land, they could not make out to what nation
she belonged. A second appeared some time after, but did nut
attempt to communicate with them. A third came suffeiently
near to see the natives and their habitations, but did not attempt
to send a boat on shore; which is the less surprising, considering
the uniform ruggedness of the coast, the total want. of shelter, and
the almost constant and violent breaking of the sea against the
cliffs. The good old man was anxious to know what was going on
in the old world, and they had the means of gratifying his curiosity
by supplying him with some magazines and modern-publications.
His library consisted of the books that belonged to Admiral Bligh,
bus the visitors had not time to inspect them.
They inquired particularly. after Fletcher Christian. This ill-
fated young man, it seems, was never happy after the rash and in-
considerate step which he had taken ; he became sullen and mo-
rose, and practised the very same kind of conduct towards his
companions in guilt which he and they so loudly complained against
in their late commander. Di3appointed in his expectations at
Otaheite and the Friendly Islands, and most probably dreading a
discovery, this deluded youth committed himself and his remaining
confederates to the mere chance of being cast upon some desert
island, and chance threw them on that of Pitcairn. Finding no r
anchorage near it, he ran the ship upon the rocks, cleared her of
the live stock and other articles which they had been stuXlied
with at Otaheite; when he set her on fire, that no trace of inha-
bitants might be visible, and all hope of escape cut otl-from him-
self and his wretched followers. He soon, however, disgusted both
his own countrymen and the Otaheitans, by his oppressive and ty-
rannical conduct; they divided into parties, and disputes and
affrays, and murders were the consequence. His Otaheitan wife
died within a twelvemonth from their landing, after which he
carried off one that belonged to an Otaheitan man, who watched
for an opportunity of taking his revenge, and shot him dead while
digging in his own field. Thus terminated the miserable existence
of this deluded young man, who was neither deficient in talent nor
energy, nor in connexions, and who might have risen iu the ser-
vice, and become an ornament to his profession.
John Adams declared, as it was natural enough he should do, his
abhorrence of the crime in which he was implicated, that he was
sick at the time in his hammock ; he expressed the utmost willing-
ness to surrender himself, and be taken to England ; indeed, he
rather seemed to have an inclination to revisit his native country,
but the young men and women flocked around him, and with tears
and entreaties begged that their father and protector might not be
taken from them, for without him they must all perish. •
This island is about six miles long by three broad, covered with
wood, and the soil of course very rich ; situated under the parallel
of 25 S. latitude, and in the midst of such a wide expanse of ocean,
the climate must be fine, and admirably adapted for the reception'
of all the'vegetable productions of everypart ofthe habitable globe.
Small, therefore, as Pitcairn's island may appear, there can be little
doubt, that it is capable of supporting many inhabitants ; and the
presentstock being of sogood a description,we trust theywilltnot be
neglected. In the course of time the patriarch must go hence;
and we think it Would be exceedingly desirable that the British
nation should provide for such an event, by sending out, not an
ignorant and idle evangelical missionary, but some zealous and in:
telligent instructor, together with a few persons capable of teach-
ing the useful trades or professions. On Pitcairn's Island there
are butter materi4ls to rook ;won than su4sionaries kint.s )4t

•r--w'~-

821

so fortumtte as to meet with, and the .best results may reason/o,ly
'be expected: Something we are bound to do for these blameless
!and interesting people.
.Captain I'ipon supplied them with some tools, kettles, and other
articles, such as the high surf would permit them to land, but to.no•
great extent ; many things are still wanting' fur their case and coin-
!fort. The descendants of these people, by keeping up the Ota-
beitan language, which the present race speak fluently, might be
the means of ci vilising the multitudes of fine people sca.tered ov:r
the Innumerable islands of the great Pacific. We have only to add.
that Pitcairn's island seems to be so fortified bv.uature as to oppose
an invincible barrier to an invading enemy; there is no spot ap-
parently where a boat can land with safety, and, perhaps, n:'! !rem
than one where it can land at all; an everlasting swell of the ocean
'rolls in on every side, and breaks into foam against its rocky auct
iron bound shores.

PO RPERT Y TAX.
..........._ .
COPT OF A MINUTE OF THE LORDS or Tilt TREASURY,
DATED 14T14 NOV. 1815.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer states to the hoard, that
representations had been made to him oft lurdship a' isinl~
out of the provision contained in the Act of the last :ses,ion
Parliament, cap. tO, which directs that the assessments to tie
duties uncle:. schedules A. and B. of -the propel tv. fo! the year
ending the sth day of April, 1815, shall rentiiin in fo;.:0 -foe
the year commencing from that date, and ending Pit, the sth
day of April, 1816. as in many cases the landlord: in con •
sequence of the great depreciation in the y' cc of ;.;rain and
other agricultural produce. been under the.inecessity ofi-educing
the rents at which their lands were he prior to the sth day of
April 1814, upon which rents the assessments to the Property
Duty for that year ought to haw", been made; and that unless a
proportionate abatement is —,ll`.owed in the assessment, the occu.
pier's of lands will not 0n1.71,e charged to the tenants' duty uttOr
schedule B. -upon a lai,;,'oei sum than the rents actually paid to
their lataordsi but will also remain burthened with the amount
of 0:4, landlords' duty charged now under schedule A. upon the
etifference between the rents at which the lands weie let at and
previous to the sth of April 1814, and the reduced rents pow
payable to their landlords.
My Lords, on full consideration of this subject, are of opinion,
that it may be advisable to grant relief in all cases of tenaotry
at rack-rent, where it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the
Commissioners for the general purposes of the Property Act,
that the estate is duly apd fully possessed of the actual rent or
more which was payable in the year commencing on the sth
day of April, 1814, and that the estate bath been bona Pe let by
a fresh lease or agreement, either to the same or another tenant,
at a rent less than the amount charged in the assessment for the
said year, to continue at such a reduced rent during the current
year commencing on the sth day of April, 1815, in which cases
the assessment for the year commencing on the sth day of
April, 1815, may be redliced to the actual rent payable in that
year.
My Lords are also of opinion, that relief should be grantedlt
-
all cases where the occupier being also owner of the estate in
question, shall prove to the satisfaction of the said Commis-
sioners, that the estate, of which he or she, is owner and occu-
pier, is assessed far the year commencing on the sal of April,
1814, at the full rack-tent at which it was then worth to bo
let to a tenant ; in which last mentioned cases the assessment
for the year commencing on the fifth of April, MS, may
may be reduced to the annual value of the said estate Ott
that day, such annual value to beeompeted as the Act direct s
on tge amount at which the estate was then worth, to be let at
rack-reut—But my Lords arc of opinion, that the relict should
be confined to cases of lands let to tenanants at rack-rent, and t
owners and occupiers duly and fully assessed, accol ding to the
directions of the acts in the said first year, commencing as atoi e-
said, and should not be extended to other cases where the estate
bath not been so duly assessed and proved to the satist'action of
the said Commissioner:. In all eases which shall be duly prov-
ed tfi conic within the description of this minute for 'chef; my
Lords 4re of opinion, abatement shuuld be made for the as-