Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-07-26
pace. IL. ! m 3 N. . m. | yf'
A Real Utopia.

civilized td and tben left to themselves 90
desert island would m'iotain tho virtues that
bad become traditional with them or degenerate
and sink to the condition Of savsges. There is
at least one existing example Of such ctmIu.
uiy that has lisen morally far aboVe i,s sourco
and improved snd Iu,ifed itself without the
aid of external Influences. Aim'rnl A. f.. Il.
DsHorsey, of Her Britanio Msiesty's ship,
Shah, and commander 10 chief Oh the Paclho
station, has Just submitted 10 the u rdj Com.
mis,iouers of the Admiralty report Of bis viz
it, 10 September last to Ptcairos Island, q bit
of EaQsh eauh located 10 the Pschooc,an tor
the purpose Of catching the rays OF the sun AID
preventing that luniuary from shining anywhere
without striking British s3iI. This island -
little moro thau tw, miles loug and abont ouo
| mile wide, stands nign, ss becomes an outpost
/ of Christian civiliz lIiou, has gonlal climate
and fruitful soil. and seemj, morally snd 90
cially to be a veritabls Utopia There are just
ninety of tho Inhabitants, aud the little commu'
oity presents human society reduced to lls
simplest terms and therefore very coa-
genieut for study. |. shows fjr nJtaou,, the
tendency of women to ousstrIp men II numbers,
for though it began tbre goucratioo5 ago with
an euu, division Of tho sexes there are uoW
| 40 fsmslas to 4l males. Ths ceusu7 Is very
! al inrls matter; there ars l6 men aud l9 woman.
25 boys aud 81 girls. Bus the malo loterss. 10
this microcosm of human society is to be fouad
10 its morlI, religious, and social condtloo. il
the first place, let Us note, the people arc
healthy. There havo been but II Deaths 10 10
years. and the ucdsr;aklog business IS extrcm''
y dull. This may not be urc )nnec.ed with tho
further fact tha. there is no doctor on the Is
land. Tho few simple remedies that NAV b.
required for tho unavoidable ailments that fish
is heir to, even 10 tho Sou,n Pacld: oc,au. arc
administered with judic1us clro b7 tho "G)v'
crnor." Contsgious diseases arc utterly uo-
knogn, and the few animsls-shecp, goats.
pigs, fowls, dogs, aud oa:s-tba. share the JOYS
| of the island with lis human population, arc
entirely free from the maaii,a that soncumts
afAict their kind
We h.Y, spoksu OF tho "Governor," for the
island being Eoglish, aud the people OF Aoglo
S,xon blood, at leas. 10 part, there ls OF course
"a Governmeut. Iii the simplest OF 81! forms,
sod seems to wcrS admirably. Tho G97eroor,
who by the way. is cd5san on the 1T OF JAnu-
ary each year b. the people, all persons.
male aud FINALE, abova the age OF seven
teen having a vote, not oDly executes tho
llavs, but makes them. The task does not ap.
pear to be q difficult one, as tho oo'y oilmes
contemplated as possible arc tbe!t, fornIcaIon,
and profanity, and no i1stsLc, OF any onh OF
Them has boeu known tioco tho present laws
were enacted. Tina executive, Legislative, and
tiudoial powers of the Government ere vested
10 one man withou. forming muoh OF burden,
and the present depository OF this one man
mower, Mr.. james Russell Mickey. nol.es win
his other iuuctOUs that OF s:ctfsm1n OF the
only boat that his little doniooo possesses. do
puides this whale boat and the Ship OF State
with equal skill and ease lie has associated
with him 10 the Governmcn; two couooll.or5,
for advisory purposes only, aod tho 'nea1s OF
families" are called together for consultation
whenever apy affair Of sufficient moment 10
iiustify it is to be considered. There has never
been a case Of official corruption or dereIo!iop.
and Investigations arc unkneTD, all OF when
NAV be due to the fact that thcro are no po.lti
Gal parties there aud but one ofics TO bo tliled.
Perhaps another explanation may be found 10
the fac. that the people haVc no money or cuf-
repoy of auy kind. Their lr4fio among them
selves is purely one Of barter TO meet their
s;mnle oonvenieucs N9bo1y is rica, nobody
moor. nobody 10 debt. The produNious OF tho
island are sufficient for the wants OF its people.
and they have DO trade except such Ss Is To-
yolyed 10 tbs exchange of some OF their fruits
and vegetables with casual ships crew Tor
articles of clothing ard lev tools.
But tho chief glory oftbe Pltcairn's l,aoders
: is vet to be mentioned. As Wo ha7o said tho
three crimes of their .lnpls code arc pfacicahy
luokuovu, and more than that they ara ttec
| from all vices and devoutly religious. h'cohoi
is neyer uscd, unless on rare occas!ons as 8
medicine. There is church, which is also
: school house and library. Service is conduct,,
. cd according to tbs liturgy cf the Church OF
EopIand every Suoday morning and afterooot;
there is Bible class every Wednesday, sod q
general prs,,r meeting ou the htst Friday OF
r eve,v month. Besides, family prayers ars said
| in eyery household the first thing ea1n ror0log
!. and the last thiog every night, and 40 food ,s
a1ar t,keu without an Invocation OF 200
= bIs.sin0 befcr, and after. Mr.. Simon Young
ia The nastor and also the school master OF the
neanls. and bis daughter Roselind AneIIa as
s;sts him in tie latter fuuctoD. Every
" ohiId of proper age. and eV'r7 unmarried
woman, of whom there must neeo' o. a.
least three. are required to attend scoool 'ron
a. m. to ~, and from to p. d., aod are are
raught elementary bratches togetns,' y, n ~ln
lS,ipture history as 8 higher orapcn. tmelo .:ir
are few simple Industries, suca - tho 'n"uH man
r n5 onn,bino sewing, hs. and baske! making tot
d ths vomen. We are not surprised 70 leatn taa1
Is tLe neopie live together in harmony and con,
% tsn,ment. and are cheer iuI ana hosphho.' %
8 veil as yirtuous and religious,
Nov What is the origin Of this little conn
Nit, With its ideal perfections thl; Utopia. luz
nav Atlantis, this hone of Psrsdslac purity .
Tbsse % people are the descendants Of the M sisht
nu,;ueers IF the Bounty, who set Captain Bligh
sdritt in The Pscif, ninety years $50, ana Oh .ae
dussy wives from otsas Elizabeth iSi
J" young saed eig6ty.egh. was the dsug hies Of Of
Jonn Mills. gunners mste of the BOUNTY anu
bis ots5e.sn WIFE, and the Oldest man who re-
oces in ihe name of Thursday October :ss Jd Ga5is
tian. and is Atty nine years o! age, ID me gIaeSu
.on ~ That Fletcher Chri.tisn, who headed tne
mu,iny @ in in i7Ss. It has long been regarded as
strange and fascinating story, that otthe boun!y
mu.nsers bu. not the least Interesting feature feature
it is Tie present condition Of the s as,So Solons SI
% tboe a.. which for twenty years was w
s. M ts,y unknown to the world and ha' been rarely
visited since It's discovery.