The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-03-31
TINE PIrCATRN TsLANDERs.

TINE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS.
The history of the settlement Of the
island Of Pitcairn, in the Pacific Ocean,
and Of the healthy and beautiful race
residing there, whose food for long
period consisted chiefly Of fruit and
vegetables, has been published in
newspapers and by tract societies in
numberable, in the languages Of near
ly every civilized land. A letter said
to be from the settlers Of that island,
is now going the rounds of the West
ern press, and Pitcairn redirirus Is
the latest morsel furnished by the
newspapers to the lovers Of sensation
stories. }
This letter is addressed to "the pub
Usher of any newspaper, and runs as
follows: ee'1sz
"PrcaIEs's Island, Ocr. 6. 1870.
| Mr. Editorials many ships pass
this island on the route to and from
San Francisco, but at too great dis
tance to board them In our canoe, it Is
our opinion that they do not know the
island to be inhabited. There are no
dangers Of rocks or shoals, and if they
come within mile. they would most
always get a supply of fruit. etc. We
number sixty or seventy persons, and
we always like to show hospitality to
strangers, to hear the news. This Is
the third day we have seen ships pass,
and this day one is standing in, by
which wesent this.
II dear sir you would have the kind
ness to give this q place IN your yalu-
able paper, you would greatly obige
your humble servants.
| CoxMUSrrY or PIrcx1ax's Island"
| It vas delivered by the Pitcairners
TO Captain Purdy, of the ship Whit
6ngton. which touched ct that island
during o recent trip from San Francis
CO TO Liverpool, and was forwarded to
the Pacific coast by the Captain who,
in an accompanying letter; says that
the settlers on the island number
about seventy, and they are moral and
healthy. He obtained several hum
dred lines and oranges from them in
exchange for medicine. and clothing,
they, especially the female portion Of
them, being much in need Of
the latter. With food they are well
provided, having abundance of orr
aages, lines and other tropical fruit,
and large numbers Of goats and wild
pigs. -
As the publication of this letter il
sure to re-awaken portion of the in
terest once felt by the public in the in
habitants of Pitcairn's Island, it may
not be uninteresting to give brief
sketch of its history and settlement.
The Island is q little over two mileA
long, and one in breadth. It was dis
!; covered ID 1767 by Admiral Carteret,
and named after one of his officers, by
. whom it was first seen. It's tempera-
ture ranges from $50 to 90o, and it.
climate is remarkably healthy. Near.
" all English speaking people, have
read or heard Of the mutiny on board
the English ship Bounty; it was this
: event which led to the settlement oI
Pitcairn's Island. This vessel was
: sent by the British government in
1889, to convey plants Of the bread.
fruit tree, from Tahiti to the West In.
dies in order to attcmpt their propo.
gation there. The. Bonnty arriving al
: Tahiti at the wrong season for trans
planting had to stay there six months
! and during this time an intimacy form.
, ed between the sailors and some 1oi
the natives: A few days after leaving
Tahiti, the crew mutinied, and putting
! the Captaih and those remaining true
to him aboard boat, they returned
, to Tahiti, and induced several of the
J natives; male and femxle, to come
; aboard, and again bore away to sea-
: The Bounty was not heard of until
1908, when an american whaler, Cap
tain. Folger Nantucket, discovered the
J. a.twhilom mutineers and heir descend.
) ants; by the Tahitian womens dwell
ing ON Pitcairn's Island. On thei,
arrival there, the mutineers had made
! slaves of the men. They had bull
i good houses, and titled the grouns
4 and made it productiye. The slave
. mutinied short time after their arriva
ard were killed by tho mutineers. Al
: the latter weredead but one, named
|. Adams, at the time Of Captain Foagcr'
3 visit. This man drew rfo q code o
3 simple laws, to which the islander
J. paid, and still pay, great respect.
! In 1856 benevolent people in Eng
land snd Australia had tho islander
removed from Pitcairn to Norfolk
/. Island. but they were dissatisfied wit
q the change and, three years after
Is seventeen of them returned to. thei
d old home. Those seventeen have no,
\ increased to near seventy. about th
, number. in 1903. when Captain Folgs
; The island lies in latitude 25s 8 s