Ellsworth American., 1857-07-24
Causes Of Increase in Population.


two thousand years so in Egypt. and
so perhaps in Italy. In England, on the
other hand, the population has about
doubled itself in the last fifty years.
notwithstanding foreign wars and consid-
erable emigration. In this conntry, how
ever, the population is found to double
itself regularly in about twenty five
years. This is owing to the healthy
farming occupation of Il large proportion
of the people, the peace and plenty that
crowns our lot, tie general morality of
the population. and the large amount Of
emigration from foreign countries, at.
tracted by the other advantages of our
position. There is no record in all past
ages of nation thus rapidly increasing,
chiefly by births. for seventy or eighty
years together, as our con.ry has done.
But on Pitcairns Island is, or rather
was. community that increased, with
out any aid whatever from emigration.
at rate just double that of our own
country. In 1900 there were just twon-
ty souls on that Island one English
man. five Otaheitan women. and
nine cen children 1893, an Amer
lean captain of whaling vessel visited
them, and found them, increased to th'-
ty-tivo. In 1914 Sir Thomas Saints.
in an English ship OF war, found there
forty six. In 1925, when another Brit
ish vessel visited them, they had multi
piled to sixty-six in 1880 to seventy
nine; and when moved to Norfork Island
in the carly part of last year, there num-
Der was one numbered and ninty nine
This WAS eight or nine months ago. 50
that we may consider them as umbcrin5
POO in 1856, exclusive of ont or two
who may not ee natives. That is. they
have mulitpled eighty-fold in f0y-sn
ycarS By natural increase alone There
Is. we believe, no part Of their wonder
ful history so wonderful as this. Sup
posing the United States to have grown
AT this rate from population of ,000,-
900 in 1900. we should have had 4O,-
100000 in 1856.
What have been the causes of this re-
roarkable increase: In Otaheite, from
which they cmigrated, and all the other
i>lInAs Of the Pacific, equally favnrd by
climate and productions, population he's
decreased and dcteriorated as significant.
ly as it has increased here so much so.
ind ed. that Christian Missions have been
considerd by superficial observers a fail
ure in these islands, unadapted to the
natives, and prejudical to their interests.
In Pitcairn Island itself population
decreased during the first ten or eleven
years, e, from l7S9 to 1900 chiefly
through iatoxica,ion and infringement
on the marriage relation, leading to con-
spiracies, murders, and homcides in self.
defence nor was it until old Adams
and five Otaheitln women alone remain
ed Of the original settlers, that a sense
Of the wre'cbedness and guilt of their
past lives filed the old man with de-
termination to reform and bring up the
colony that now called him father in an
entirely different method. And not
untl then was it that population began
to increase. At that TIM, finding an
old Bible and Prayer book. he almost
learned to read that he might teach
them, and taught himself to write, that
he might frame laws for the guidance Of
his little colony.
He himself had been one Of the worst
sailors who landed on that Island, and it
was unqueStionably the exemplary and
virtuous manner in which he contrived
to bring them all up. that has made them
what they have since become, and they
are now said to be one of the finest and
most perfect races in cxistancc.-
In 1880 the average height of the men
was feet 10 inches. the shortest adult
) feet and nc-ei Iht inches, and the
tallest 6 fct | inch There was but
one cripple or defective person on the
/ Island. e.. a lad who lost his right eye.
Some of them had been known to carry
each coo lbs. at one time, and th"y fire.
I qunntlv swan around their islaaA a cir
cult of at least seven miles. The young
women were remarkable for their sim
plicity, modesty, attractivcness, AMI
elegant taste "Their manners and
demcanor. observes the captain of an
I English man-of-war. "would have done
honor TO the most virtuous and cnligh.-
cnl people on the earth" A case of
morality was never known in the colny.
but their coningal and parental affection
anil the ent re absence of all srious dis
putcs or fiieuliios. were solely attribu-
table to the manner in which Adams had
brought them up.
Facts like these are worth more than
all other argIm nts in the world against
Mormon polygamy. ani show TIE vilec
of Christianity in promoting national
welfare as the most perfect expression OF
that religion which is the fundamental
law Of our natures. Vital statistics cx-
hihit what are the true laws of our being.
There is nothing that systematically in
iurcs the race or reg,rds its progress but
what is wrong. aud there is no
such proof of system being true as
that il promotes the healthy growth and
increase of society - whole.-Pha.,
Leiger.
7 n, = ea.a-l.i -, III L.. l.. a. a f.I.n.