Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-10-19


hound for the Pacific would quit our ports without
more on board than had been bargained for, OF the
captain was aware of! Thus stands the law.
..If CAT be killed without being positively de-
tected in killing fowls, however strong the saspi
cion NAV be the person killing such cat is obliged
as penalty, to destroy THREE HUNDRED RATS
whose tails must be submitted for the inspection
of the magistrate, by way of prooftha the penalty
has been paid' The stringency of this law is
referable to the great number of rats in the island
which do much damage to the sugar canes. Fowls
are toe-,oarked and if one be discovered destroy
ing vans or potatoes, the owner OF the plantation
NAV shoot the fowl and retain it for his own use
and may also demand of the owner of such fowl
the amount of powder and shot 50 expended, as
well as the fowl. As for a PIG, if he get loose
and commit depreciation, his case may be submit
ted to the magistrate taken from him to jury OF
seven and finally to the captain ofthe next man.
of-war coming 10 the island
In features dress, manners. and appearance, the
Pitcairners seem to resemblelhe inhabitants of one
of the better order of our own villages but some
are rather darker than Europeans, partaking of
their half Otaheitan descent. AS for dress, the
men wear short trousers, coming down 10 wlthlh
two or three inches of the knee, SHIRT, and cap
or hat shoes and stockings being reserved TOR sun
Idays. They are, however, badly OIL tor CLONES,
depending on the precarlous supply afforded oy
ships touching at the island lhe women wear
a petticoat, from the waist downwards; ana over
that loose rown, with handkerchief sometimes
thrown over their shoulders. A wreath of small
white FRAGRANT flowers, with others of bright red,
is often worn round the head the hair being worn
in hands. and twisted in very becoming manner
into knot behind "Though," says Captain r.
ner. of H.M.S. Tag1s, ''they have had the In
strnction of only their Otahetan mothers, our
dressmakers in London would be delighted with
the simplicity, and yet elegant taste, OF these un-
t,nrht females.n As we have seen that these
vonnq creatures are finely formed and handsome,
their appearance must be both engaging and pic
In the wear 1850, the inhabitants Of Pitcairn re-
ol;ced the truth of the old adage, that it is an Ill
wind that blows no one any good. Five gentle
men-one of them was Mr.. Brodie, who alter
wards nublished very interesting account OF his
stav in the island-landed on the island. whose
shin was blown off during the night, leaving them
prisoners for period of three weeks They had
I nothing but the clothes they wore-wlth the eX-
cention of one, the Baron de Ihlery, who, being
: vfa musical turn, had tuning-iofk with him.
He proposed to teach his hospltabe hosts music,
noticing how mperfec,ly they got through the vo-
cal paris of divine service. They made remarka-
bly rapG progress. being passlonately fond OF mu-
sic soon learning. as a visitor in August last tes-
ti6ed ..to sing in parts, beautifully" He adds,
that he accompanied the chaplain of the ship to
the island on Sunday the Sth August; 'the hymns
were sung in regular parts by the whole congrega-
: ton. doubt much whether any church in Eng
land exceptnr cathedrals, can boast OF such
rood choir" Imagine them, good readers, on Sun
day next. the 9th instant, perhaps singing to the
accompaniment of their organ, and with their be-
: loved chaplain in the reading desk and pulpit!
Fearing a dear,h of water (Which would now
appear to have been chimercal, ) the British Gov
ernrnent in the year 1881, removed the whole
community, then only eighty in number, to
0 Otaheite, when Queen Pomare, since become
historical character received them with great kind
ness though herself harassed, at the time, by civ
: il war. The lcentious manners OF the place DIS
qusted almost all the vrtuous vlsliants from Fit
u cairn I; but some few were overcome hy the Temp
! tations to intemperance. The unhealthiness OF
the climate then carried of twelve by sickness,
and five more died almost Immediately after ther
return. 1t is to be regretted that humanity should
have been so hastv on this occasion and to be hoped
that such step will not be taken again "i'hou'
e crave consideration. They have ever since ex-
Dressed their deep sorrow at having been removed,
and their passionate love of home from which they
t will never again be willingly severed. One Of
their Records states that within three months at
ter their removal to Tahiti, on one or two OF their
numher returning to Pitcairn, ,''Durlng our absence
our hoes have zone wild, and destroyed our crops;
and after our return we employed ourselves In de-
stroying the hogs" =,
Though the climate is generally charming the
island is subject to be visited by terrible storms.
One is recorded as having burst over it on the 10th
Anr;l IS45 occasioning extreme terror to the in
babitsnts. and devastation. What a scene!-
Thunder and lightning believing and flashing in
cessanty over the desolate little rock-a deiuge
of rain faling-the hurricane bowling around and
tearing down the precious earth from the rocks In
to the sea-tearing up by the roots, and casting
into the roaring and oaming ocean, three hundred
cocoa trees. A yam ground, with a thousand
vans, entirely disappeared. Several fishing boats
were destroyed-al the pantaln patches were lev
eled, four thousand plantain-trees being destroy.
cd the onehafin full bearing, the other designed
ar the wear 1876: $50 that" continues the Re
cord this very valuable article of food we shall
be without for long time. The fact is, that from
this date until Angus" ,"-i. e., four long wearl-
some months,--''we shall be pinched for food u
How bore the terrified little community this dis
nensaton2 Let us hear for the Record thus pro-
ceeds: ..But God tempers the wind to the shorn
lamb. and we humbly trust that the late monltons
of providence-namely, drought, sickness, and
storm. which severally have afflicted us this year
may be sanctifed to US, and be the means OF
brinuino us. one and all, into closer communion
with our God. May we remember the rod, and
. who hath appointed it; always bearing in mind,
that our heavenly Father doth not willingly af1lci
the children Of men," We envy not him or heI
=; who can read this without sympathy and admlra-
: ton.
These worthy people, happy in so many other
resnects, are by no means exempt from the ordl-
nary ills of humanity, and suffer occasionally very
severely from prevalent illness, chiefly the inu-
enza and also the more formidable diseases. There
: is painfully interesting account given ofthe death
o perfectly resigned, and even happy-of one o.
the women, from cancer On all these occasions
a for now quarter of century, this exemplary
}, man has acted both as physician and chaplain.
II How long this singular and Interesting commu'
4 nity NAV be able to remain at Pitcairn,is problem
atica; for Admiral Moresby tells US, in August
1852. that "the crops on the tillage ground begin
10 deteriorate; landslips occur with each succeed
{ inc storm; and the declivites of the hills, whef
denuded are laid bare by the periodical rains. -
!, Symptoms in reality appear Of an evil sometimes
:, Numerically apprehended at home-populatlor
" pressing on the means of subsistence Ii will thus
; become the duty of the British Government to dea
prudently and tenderly with the little community
:, not tearing them ALL with bleeding hearts, from
the land Of their birth land the seat ofther sweets
y and sympathies, and associations, but assisting
, them from time TO time, as they themselves per
Is ceive the inevitable necessity for so doing, to mi
> crate to the numerous islands in that remote local
e ity-each family, and each member of il, becoming
} .aLin4;no. nnrtrn nf Chrieiinn cinizn linn A