Litchfield enquirer., 1876-07-06
.alnzaAeaeasao2 eI
WHOLE ! NO. 26l4.
THE PITCAIRN rsrANpRRs.


 The following are extracts from . let ter received from the commander of her Majesty's ship Petrel, reporting his visit to Pitcairn Island in December last:-- .8 found the inhabitants of Pitcairn in flourishing condition, and well supplied with the neeessaries required to meet their simple wants. They at present number eighty-fve, q large proportion being young children. The numbers of the sexes are thirty-eight males and forty seven females, the names of the families being Christian, Young, MCoy, Buffett- Warren and Butler. Warren and But Ter are not descendants of the mutinesFs. Warren married one of the Pitcairn Is- landers, in Norfolk Island, and accom-. panied them on their return. Butler is an American, who few months ago was cast away in an English ship, and when the remainder of the crew were taken off the Island desired to be left behind. He has since married. During last year there were two shipwrecked crews re- ceived on the Island. The first were the crew of the English ship KhAndish bound to Europe from San Francisco with grain. While standing off and on she stood too close in, missed stays and went on shore on the northeast end of the Island, close to Bounty Bay, and, be- ing an iron ship, soon became total wreck. Her crew were taken off few days afterwards by passing American ship. The others were the crew of the English ship Cornwallis, which ship, be- ing also. on her passage home from San Francisco with grain, went on shore and became total wreck on the Island of 0eno. They took to their boats and made for Pitcairn Island, where they remained for more than seven weeks, when they were taken off by passing vessel. The crew of the Cornwallis num- bered twenty-five, and as they were so long on the Island it caused the inhabi- tants to be little straitened for gar den produce, but when by themselves they are amply supplied, and moreover able to supply passing ships with vege- tables and fruit, sheep, pigs and poultry they can also spare. Thursday Chris tian (who is the magistrate of the com munity) desired me to make known that they were in want of gardening tools, spades, hoes and rakes. The Islanders would be very grateful for small num- Der of these articles. If it was decided to supply them, I would suggest that that the most ready means of forwarding them to the Island would be through the Consul at San Francisco, who might be instructed to purchase them and for ward them by the first homeward bound ship intending to touch at the Island. Christian said that a yearly average of eight or nine ships communicated with them, the vessels being either bound from San Francisco to Europe, or else from Newcastle, New South wales to San Francisco. Some of the grain ships from San Francisco have called two or three years consecutively. From these vessels they obtain, in exchange for fresh provisions, their supplies of clothing, etc. With the exception of gardening tools we were enabled to supply them with the few things they were in want of. The inhabitants were very healthy, and with the exception of one scrofulous child there appeared to be no disease among them. They were very loyal in inquiring after the health of Her Most gracious Majesty and the royal family generally.