Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-07-23

| PieSc vi ii1eti, IedcHtlS IOIl the waist 10 TN
knees-and generally sort Dynamite throw
over the shoulders, and hanging as low as tn,
ancles-but this covering appeared to be inten
ded chiefly as aprotection against the sun ant
weather, as it was frequently laid aside, ant
then the upper parts of the bodies were entire
! ly exposed-anditwa was impossible to conceive
more beautiful forms than they exhibited
! They sometimes wreathed caps or bonnets fol
the head, in the most tasteful manner, 70 pro.
tect the face from the rays of the sun-and
though they had only the instruction of thei,
0taheitan mothers, the dress makers of Lon
don would have been delighted with the sim
pllcity, and yet elegant taste ofthese untaught
children of nature.
Their native modesty, assisted by proper
sense of religion and morality, instilled into
their youthful minds by the patriarch Smith,
had hitherto preserved these interesting peo-
pie perfectly chaste and free from all kinds of
debauchery. Smith assured his visiters, that
since Christians death, there had not been
single instance of any young woman proving
unchaste-nor any attempts at seduction on
the part of the men. They all labored while
young In the cultivation of the ground, and
when possessed of quantity of cleared land :,
and stock sufficient to maintain family, they
were allowed to marry-but always with the
consent of Smith, who united them with
sort OF marriage ceremony of his own. The
greatest harmony prevailed in the society.
Butwhat was most gratifying to the visiters
was the simple and unaffected manner in
which they returned thanks to Almighty God
tor the many blessings they enjoyed. They
never failed to say grace before and after meals
or to pray every morning at sunrise-and
they frequently repeated the Lords prayer
and creed. II was truly pleasing, says Capt.
Pipon, to see these people so well disposed to
listen to moral instruction, to believe in the
attributes of God, and to place their reliance
on Divine goodness.
Only five ships passed within sight of the
island from the date of the first settlement, in
1870, to the arrival of the Briton in ISI4-of
these only the Topaz and the Briton ELECTED
landing. This Is not surprising, considering
the ruggedness OF the coast, the total want Of
shelter, and the constant and violent breaking
of the sea against the cliffs.
Captain Delano bears his testimony i'm favor
OF the good character, excellent conduct, and
virtues of Smith, the mutineer, (afterward
called John 'Adams) who for many years SUI
perntended and watched over the interesting
colony, with all afather's interest. He says
that Notwithstanding the variety oflicentious
scenes which he had witnessed. and the nu-
merous transactions in which he had partic-
ipated. all tending to blunt, if not destroy the
moral feelings, he still manifested to Folper
the most benevolent solicitude for the preserva-
ton OF the innocence and purity of the young |
his care. His perception of the |
beauty of truth, his sense fthe value and dig |
nifty ofinnocence, and his sentiments of piety |
appear to have been as lovely and powerful, |
as though he had never been guilty Of the |
crime OF mutiny, or rendered himself liable |
to adisgraceful death, by outraging the laws |
OF his country. There is redeeming spirit i'm |
our nature, which may be Nsubdued for a mo-
mentby the force of temptation-but which
will ultimately give virtue triumph over
wee, and confer happiness on the wretched.
cit is painful" says Captain Delano, Ito
look forward to the time when this interesting
family of PitcaiEns Island shall lose their pre-
sent innocence AMI simplicity, by the frequent
visits they must be expected to receive from
ships, that will hereafter be attracted to their |
retreat by the fame of their beauty, the aifec- |
ton OF their hearts, and the n,ildness OF their
climate
But number of years passed away before
this anticipation was realized. At length the
serpent entered the paradise, and rent the veil
which concealed from them the treachery and
wickedness Of the world. In the year 1921,
Capt. Bllgh, master of an English brig, ira
ding from Valparaiso among the islands Of the
Pacific, stopped at Piicdirn's Island. Helm
'Vited Smith with some ofthe women and girls
on board the vessel, gave them refreshments,
wines, &c.--of which this fiend in human
TORN pursuaded them freely to partake-
When night approached, and'it became ne
cessary Tor the Islanders to go on shore, ore Of
the girls was asleep, and could not be reused
by her companions. Ii was said that the cap
tain had drugged her wine with laudanum -
capt. Bligh atlength persuaded Smith, with
the rest OF his company TO 60 on shore-leav-
Dcard-and to come for her in the morning ---
This he was unwilling to debut to quiet his
fears, Bllgh locked the state-room in which
the girl was reposing, and put the KEY in the
old mans hands-who, with his party, went
OH shore.
The nextmorning, however, the brig was
not to be seen, having sailed during the night
and was Tar on her way to other seas and
other lands. When the poor girl awoke she
become fully sensible of all the horrors other
situation, and uttered the most heart-rending
lamentations-but she was in the power of a
mlscreant, who could not he turned from his
VIC purposes. He used all the soothing and
comforting language Of which he was the
master, and promised to marry her on their
arrival III port-which promise, Of course. he
never fulhlled. He afterward, in 1927. land
cdthis unfortunate girl at Tahiti. with her in
Iah''-and abandoned her. At that island she
iiVed Tor some years, heart broken and dis
consoiate woman. She was offered passage
BACK TO her native island, which she refused
saying that she had lost her character and
standing, and should never be regarded there
otner tnan an outcaSt--and she wished not to
disgrace her family and her connections. She