The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-07-22
for tbe CHILDREN.
A True Story Of the South Seas.

Wy iVW vi OuI yOuuUtT IeducTS are
familiar with the case of the mutiny of
the crew of the ship Bounty, their set
Element on Pitcairn's Island and their
subsequent history. The following ac-
count is taken from the Young Peoples
department of the Missionary HeraM
for the present month:
In 1889 party of the officers and
crew of the British ship Bounty mu-
tinted near the Friendly Islands and
turned the captain and loyal sailors
adrift in an open boat. This boat and
all on board made a safe voyage of
three thousand miles, and landed at
Timor in the East Indian archipelago.
The mutineers made for Tahiti. Nine
of them took Tahitian wives, and with
nine other Tahitians sailed the Bounty
to Pitcairn's Island. This island had
been discovered by son of the Major
Pitcairn who was killed in our war of
the revolution. 1t was known to be
uninhabited, and thus would afford a
safe hiding-place. Far off it looks like
a desolate rock, rising steep from the
sea. But on nearer approach its vol
canic peaks and cliffs appear covered
with trees, and lying just outside the
tropics it abounds in tropical fruits
while it will also bear the vegetables of
the temperate zone. Its rocky coast
and tremendous breakers make landing
difficult, and the only safe harbor is
Bounty Bay.
Here the mutineers landed, and
broke up their ship to avoid discovery.
Safe from punishment, free from re-
straint, they may have expected to be
happy in that lovely isle. But sin
brings misery everywhere, and only
two of the men died natural death
They fought and killed each other till,
in ten years after their landing, only
one remained alive! This was John
Adams, a sailor who had never been to
school. He found himself with the
Tahitian women and twenty fatherless
children dependent upon him alone for
guidance. He had seen the awful con-
sequences of sin, and now felt the re-
sponsibility of these souls. Only one
book had been saved from the ship
the Bible and English Prayer-book
bound together. Adams began to pray
and to study the Bible, and was soon
able to read easily; then he taught the
children reading and writing, with the
law of God and the blessed gospel of
Christ The children all loved him
and called him father, and learned
readily what he could teach them.
Peace now began her reign upon the
island. Adams had morning and even
ing prayers and held Sunday services,
aided by the English liturgy. AT first
he always lived in fear of discovery;
but no British ship touched at the
island for twenty-five years after the
landing of the mutineers. AT last, in
1914, two men-of-war appeared there.
Their officers were surprised to see a
canoe put off, and two fine, handsome
young men soon hailed them in excel
lent English and said: Won't you
heave us rope?' Springing on deck,
they gave their names as Thursday
Christian and George Young, and
avowed themselves the sons of the lost
mutineers of the Bounty. The English
captains were astonished at this eX-
traordinary discovery of men so long
forgotten, but were still more surprised
and excited when they took the young
men below and placed some food before
them. Both rose, and one of them
folded his hands in prayer, saying, in
pleasant and suitable tones, " For what
we are going to receive, the Lord make
us truly thankful"
This wonderful island colony was
found to contain forty-six persons,
mostly grown-up young people, with a
few infants. The young men and
women were tall, handsome. athletic
and graceful, and their faces beamed
with kindness and good humor. Adj
ans assured the visitors that they were
truly honest and religious, industrious
and atfectionate. They were decently
dressed in cloth made from the bark of
trees. Their houses were built around
an open lawn, and were furnished with
tables, beds, chests and seats. Their
tools had been made out of the iron of
the Bounty. After delightful stay
the ships sailed, leaving few gifts of
kettles, tools, ETC., and it was nearly
twelve years before the Pitcairners
were again visited by an English ship.
Captain Beechey of the Blossom landed
among them in 1926. He found that
an American whaler had been there
before him, and that one of her men,
named John Buffet, had been so in
fatuated with the behavior of the peo-
pie that, being himself of devout turn
of mind, he had resolved to devote his
life to them He had proved an able
and willing schoolmaster, and had be-
come the oracle of the community.
Captain Beechey was warmly well
coined, and spent some days on shore
with a party of his men. Every day
they dined with one or another of the
families, and were treated to baked pig,
yams, taro and sweet potatoes. These
were cooked in heated stone ovens
made in holes in the ground. Their
beds were mattresses, made of palm
leaves, covered with sheets of cloth
beaten out of the bark of the paper
mulberry-tree. An evening hymn was
sung by the whole family, and at dawn
the guests were awakened by the morn
ing hymn and the family prayer. Grace
was always said at meals, and if any
one came in late the others all paused,
while he also repeated it, and they re-
sponded amen" On Sundays the |
church service was well conducted,
Adams reading the prayers and Buffet
the sermon. What will our restless |
young folks say to the fact that the SER
mon was repeated three times, lest it
should be forgotten, or any part should |
attention JIyp,pc tUara c,,n,r