The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1880-10-23
PITCAIRN ISLAND.
ISan Francisco Alta.l

Sydney, furnishes the Alta the following |
account of his interview with boats |
crew at Pitcairn Island: While on our
passage from Sydney, N. S. W., to your
port on the morning of the 3lst Of
August we sighted Pitcairn Island. It's
first appearance was mere speck on the
horizon, being for the first time that that
uniform line had been broken to our
vision since We left the Colonies. Having
heard that the inhabitants had been
taken, some years back, to Norfolk |
Island we did not expect to meet with
any human beings there, unless another
| shipwrecked crew had made the place
their temporary home. At about 2 p.
m, smoke was observed rising from one
of the cliffs-a sure sign that there were
human beings on the island-and boat
under sail was soon seen making for our
ship. We Immediately hove-to, and
were extremely pleased to find, when the
boat came nearer, the English ensign fly
| ing in answer to our own, and to see that
the boat contained ten men able to speak
the English language. They first asked
permission to come on board, which was
readily granted. They brought a good
| supply of oranges, bananas, pine-apples,
pumpkins and sweet potatoes best
of their kind, without exception, we
ever tasted.
Their principal charge was their mail,
ten letters, a report Of their doings, and
a sketch of their church; the report and
sketch being addressed to clergyman in
America, most likely for publication.
Most readers are probably aware that
this Island is noted as being the place of
asylum, in 1889, for the mutineers of the
Bounty When the mutiny broke out
| first, the ship was on her way to Otaheite
for the purpose of obtaining bread-fruits,
and plants, to be transplanted to the
West Indies, and was commanded by
Lieutenant Bligh, who, with eight
cen others, was cast ,adrift, in an
open Boat in which, after sailing up
wards Of $500 hundred miles, they as
rived at the island of Timor without
having lost man. Subsequent to Bligh's
arrival in England he was sent again to
the South Seas, and carried out his
original mission. In 1906 he was ap-
pointed Governor of New South Wales,
but the wildness Of his conduct, and the
severity Of his measures caused him to be
arrested by order of the civil and military
officers of the Colony, which ended his
government. After casting Bligh and
companions adrift, the mutineers set sail,
and first arrived at Tabuai, but were
compelled to leave on account of warfare
with the natives. They then bore
away for Otaheite, where the ringleader,
| Christian, after some had landed, cut the
cable and put to sea with number of
!, native women on board. He then went
to Pitcairn Islands, settled down, and
was not heard from for many years, until
: Capt. Mayhem Folger touched there
February, lSOS, to procure seals
thinking, from former accounts, that il
was uninhabited-and discovered for the
first time the missing crew of the Bounty
John Adams, one Of the mutineers, aftel
the death of his English companions, be
came, from rough and desperate char
$ acter, humane and religious man. HI
. introduced Christianity and the laws o
! marriage among those that were with hin
~ on the island. The present number o
'1 inhabitants is "a. Our visitors wer
y apparently strong, stalwart AM
T. healthy men, with very agreeabl
IN manners. They expressed themselves a
K being pleased at meeting visitors fron
a. the outside world, with which they hav
" so little intercourse. They also appeare
g to be particularly grateful to several En-
glish and American gentlemen who hav
w interested themselves in their behalf i
r. procuring useful articles, making specis
en- mention Of several American ladies VIII
IT, have from time to time visited then
at From what we could gather, they SCENE
re very pious and religious people. Will
p in their boat, alongside the ship, they,
MS MS our great qualification, sang couple
=" 10 Moody and Sankey's hymns in yer
I;s &c effective manner. Before leaving til
re- ship we gave some articles, together wit
Ter books, papers, ETC., and referene
ev Bible, which they seemed very anxio'
~ to obtain; for all Of which they. SCENE
ok ok extremely thankful. As the afternoc
40 90 was drawing to close and we were an
~ n ious to proceed on our voyage, we parte