The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-05-11
Pitcairn's Island.

A letter has recently been published
from tho captain Of a ship who has carried
back u colony Of seventeen children OF tho
mutiDceis of tho Bounty 10 Pitcairn's
Island. 1t seems they never foIt sure that
thoy should like tho change TO Norfolk
Island. and Left their habitaIions carefully
fastened up and labelled rs theirs, In case
of their return. To q superficial view
nothing would seom moro kind and wise
than the caro- exercised for them by tho
British Government. They had increased
from twenty Ave, la 1909, to one hundred
and ninety-nino in 1855. Tho island was
becoming too small for them, and they were
carefully removed, ut tho expense Of the
British Government, to Norfolk Island,
lying within four or FIVE degrees of the same
latitude, Only about fivo thousand miles
to tho westward, in the samo Pacific Ocean
Every want was supplied. and tho Island,
with all its houses aud hospitals. given UP
to them. A good many OF them arc. how.
ever homcsick. and have cought whales ana
sold oil enough to lay by 80 900 and moro
10 return. A tribe of seventeen have gone
back. and larger numbers will soon follow
We doubt not these returning ones will bc
as much disappointed and discontentcd, now
that they havo seen Norfolk Island, as those
who remain thorc. Tho island will seem
smaller and poorer than 1t did before.
Nothing can better demonstrate the in.
| foriority IF all systoms that do not rest on
elf government and self development. II
company of young mon and women had
been encouraged TO COLOMBO aud sottlo on
new islands. us tho increased pressure of
population would soon have made them de-.
sirous of doing those young colonies would
soon have surpassed tho old ones. But it is
hard moving an old troe, and foolish to at.
tempt it. By taking all away together, and
bcJore half of them felt tho necessity of any
removal. discomfort was certain to spread
from tho old to tho young. BY not being
left 10 think for themselves, ard develop
their o,ra energies, they become lstless aud
uncnergetic. They ought to colonze. by
degrees. tho surrounding islands of the Pa
cific, and spread their influence there
Thule is nothing in all history, so far. that is
so remarkable as tho rapid increase of this
reoplo. In 1900, when Adams commenced
to read his Blbo, and live reformed life.
they numbered 25. In 1925 they numbered
&c; in 1880. 10; in 1856. l99 +; in 1858, after
q voyage of five thousand miles, PIG. BY
this time, 1850, they must be over 240 ia
number. That,is they have multiplied from
20 to 240 in sixty years, or more than nine
and n half; while even in tho United States,
with all tho aids of immigration tho increase
has not bccn, at tho highest, eight fold in
sevcnty.nvo ye~"s Ono thing is clearly
demonstrated by tbls-that the iaur of our
race ale better observed among them than
any other portion Of mankind with which
history has mado us acquainted They did
not get this knowledge from tho natives Of
tho Pacific for they are fast decreasing -
Nor from tho original principles of the mu-
,ineers from whom they sprang, for those
had nearly destroyed the colony, aud had
diminished the original population.
1t is Christianity, and Christianity alone,
carried ou. practically into the details Of
daily lifo. that las produced these most
wonderful effects, and mado tho most mar.
velous of alterations. tho most romantic
and refined aud hourishing of colonies hat
tho world has ever yet boheld.-Phiiadei
phia Ledger.