The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-03-13
PitCairn's Island.


be- rccollcctcd is inhabited by descendants Of the
mutinccrs Of the English ship Bounty. An alb
srac Of the account Of this visit will be read with
much interest.
The time in which this visit was made was in
July last. When the Cockatrice was within about
two miles Of the city a boat manned hy a half do
Hen line looking men pUt IN 49,. 'ho hriy and
expressed the most unbounded delight at the ar
rival Of another man-of war. At their request n
party from the lric soon landed and proceeded
up rough path and very steep ascent to level
spot where the village Is built. Here were found
assembled all the inhabitants Of the island, men,
women and children, with their pastor, Mr. Nobbs,
and all dressed in a clean and becoming manner.
The declarations Of delight at'tbis visit were re-
uewed and all united in saying that the few Wis
is from our countrymen form the happiest days
Of our hyes.'
The visitors were next conducted 10 the school
house, large substantial building 6fty feet long
by twenty feet wide, conveniently fitted up with
desks, and well furnished with states a supply If
moral and religious books and other requisites
for the instruction Of youth. At one end there
was pupil aud a small space allotted for the
use of pastor-thc house being used rs a chap
Ell on Sunday. H,re was also kept the book con.
taiujug the record. ofthe island the births deaths
and marriages, aud The number and names Of the
SHIPS which have visited il since it, occupation,
The average number of vessels formerly was eight
per aunum. bu; OF late years it has very much IN
creased. In $50 there was AZ, 25 Of which were
American whacrs which put in Tor supplies, and
Of the conduct Of whose crews the inhabitants
speak in the highest terms of praise
There was then GO souls residing on the island
81 males and 70 females The average mum
bcr of births was eight, while but four deaths had
O Cured IN Dix years Of Which one was that OF
Susanna Young. the last survivor Of the Bounty,
who died July Is, 1850, aged IS years-Iho'e
are at present fourteen males and uuo females
marlilgeabie, who are unmarried. The whole
community consists of twenty.tlree families, in
I hali,ng seventeen house,. The diseases ihey
snifcr mostly from are rheumatism, asthma, ague
and bilious attacks. The smallpox has never
appeared amongst them, neither has a soul on the
island been vacCinnted. In April, 1850, five
/ passengers were left on the ISLAND in a very des.
titute condition 10y the captain of a ship. The
/ "Record Book bears very high testimonial to
the kindness and chrls,ian.Ike treatment which
/ the islanders bestowed upon them.
A fer the visit to the school was finished. The
visitors from the Cockntrice were treated 10 an
excellent dinner, very nicely cooked after the OF
ahelan fashion, Dinner being finished they went
out to take walk, and here we quote a few par
/ apraphs from the account before Us:
/ Some Of the women accompanied US and enter.
/ tanned me very much by their lively and cheerful
conversation. learnt from il that they do the
/ most labogous work such as preparing the ground
/ for planting, diggiug potatoes and yams which
/ they have 10 carry some distance from their hou-
Sc, by rough aud Ipltols.-Ihey also thatch
/ the roof, cook wash and attend to other dnmes-
tic duties. while the men are employed in build
/ ing houses and in other mechanical works, as well
a. fishing, and hunting goats. The children have
not much attention paid TO them after they are
able to run about-when they are seven years old
they are sent to school and attend regularly un.
I'll fourteen. Consequently there is not q soul on
the island that cannot read and write. Most OF
! them are exceedingly intelligent and well iufor
med, indeed much more so than is possible TO con.
ceive from their isolated and little intercourse with
the world.
/ "But what must strike strangers more than any
thing else ia the happy manner inwhch they live
! together there does not appear to be jealousy
or bad thought existing among thcm--the women
IN particular are very fond Of each other; such a
. thing rs quarrel between them never occurs +;
and nothing can happen TO any one on the island
without It's being source OF grief to ALL they are
So kuit together by friendship and love.
/ a magistrate i. appointed yearly by maj jori-
7 ty of votes, all. both male and female above Is
| years ofagc, are voters. He has the management
of the affairs oithe island and settles disputes with
the assistance Of q Jury, if necessary. Should any
decision be deemed unsatisfactory, they DO not
quarrel over it, but let the subject drop and refer
It by mutual consent to the captain Of the first
manofwar that visits them. with the express un'
derstandiug that his. decision is final. The mag
strate takes charge Of any spjrituous liquors that
may be given them by ships visiting the island,
and issues a small portion to any one who wishes
it on holidays, ot which they have tut two IN the
year one to celebrate the arrival OF the Bounty in
JUnuary, the other the Queens birthday; by this
means drunkenness is entirely avoided. Howry.
er they are not addicted TO it. ] was told by
Author ouintal that such crime had not taken
place for l3 years.
During the entire stay Of the officers of the
Cockatrce, the utmost attention was paid to their
wants and comfort, and every thing was done to
render their visit agreeable aud pleasant The
commander Of the vessel speaks otth. inhabitants
Of this island as "the happicst, most moral and
kindhcarted people he had ever fallen in with
during long service in all parts Of the habltable
globe > and his account them s correct, (and
it agrees with previous narratives of visits to the
island they certainly deserve this high praise
FIFTY YEARS AGo-On the 10th, Mt Washing.
ton, the House was engaged on the bill granting
land to Missouri for two railroads running west.
| ward In the course Of the debate Mr. Moore, of