Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-09-27
A rsre srosY OF RE seTrn SEAS.


men, Of the Missionary Herald:
In 1889 q party Of the officers and
crew of the British ship Bounty mu-
tinted near the Friendly Islands snd
turned the captain and loyal sailors
adrift in An open boat This boa!
and all on board made safe voyage
Of three thousand miles. and landed
at TimOr in the East Indiao archipel-
ago. The mutineers made for Tahiti.
Nine Of them took Tahiiian wives.
and, with nine other Tahiiians. sailed
the Bounty TO Pitcairn's Island.
This island had been discovered BY 3
son Of the Msjor Pitcairn. who was
killed in our War Of the Revolution
II was known to be uninhabited. and
thus would aff4rd q safe hiding place
Far of it looks like a desolate rock,
rising steep from the sea But. on
nearer approach, its volcanic peaks
and cliffs appear covered with trees.
and, lying just outside the tropics.
1t abOuDds 10 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 muiineers landed, aud
broke up their ship To avoid discov-
cry. Safe from punishment, free
from restraint, they may have ex-
pecied to be happy in that lovely isle.
But sin brings misery everywhere,
aud only two OF the men died a
natural death. They fought and
killed each other till, in ten Yeas
after their landing, only one remained
alivei This was John Adams, a sail
or, who had never been to school.
de found himself, with the Tahitian
women and twenty fatherless chill
dren. dependent upon him alone for
guidance He had seen the awful
consequences of sin, and now felt
the responsibility of these souls.
Only one book had been saved from
the ship-the Bible and English pray
er-book bound together Adams be-
gan to pray and study the Bible, and
was soon able 10 read easily; then he
taught the children reading and writ
ing. with the law of God, and the
blessed gospel of Christ. The chill
dren 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 evening prayers,
and held Sunday services, aided by
The English liturgy. AT first, he al
ways lived in fear of discovery; but
no British ship touched at the island
for twenty-five years after the land
ing 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
you lg men soon hailed them In ex.
cellent English, and said: Wont
you heave US roper" Springing on
deck, they gave their names as Thurs
day Christian and George Young,
and avowed themselves the sons of
the lost mutineers of the Bounty.
The English captains were astonished
at this extraordinary 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
Adams assured the visitors that they
we're truly honest and religious, in
dustrious and afiectionate. They
were decently dressed in cloth mad,
from the bark of trees. Their house.
were built around an open lawn, aaC
were furnished with tables, beds
chests and seats. Their tools hat
been made out of the iron of tn,
Bounty. After a delightful stay
the ships sailed, leaving few gift
of kettles, tools, etc, and it wa
yearly twelve years before the Pi,
carriers were again visited by al
English ship. Captain Beecbey o
the Blossom landed among them il
1925 He found that an American
whaler had been there before him
and that one of her men, named JOIN
Buffet, had been so infatuated will
the behavior of the people that, be
ing himself of a devOut turn o
mind, he had resolved to devote hi
life to them" He had proved Al
able and willing schoolmaster, an,
had become the oracle of the con-
munity.
| Captain Beechey was warmly we
coined, and spent some days on shor
with a party of his men. Every da
they dined with one or another G
the families, and were treated t
baked pig. yams, taro and sweet pr
tatoes. These were cooked in hea
ed stone ovens made in holes 10 th
ground. Their beds were mattresse.
made of psImleaves. covered wit
sheets OF cloth beaten out of th
bark OF the paper mulberry tire,
An evening hymn was sung by tn
. whole family, and at dawn the CUES
} were awakened by the mornin
ny mn and the family prayer. Graz
J vas always said at meals. and II an
, one came In late the others all pause,
! while be also repeated it, and the
1 responded Amen" On Sunda,
D the church service was well col
: Quoted, Adams reading the Praye
and Buffet the sermon. What wi
our restless young folks say to d
|. fact that the sermon was repeate
! three tiiaes, lest it should be forge
ten, or any part should escape attei
ton! Hymns were sung, and no OF
D seemed wearied. NJ work was dor
: on Sunday, nor any boa: allowed ,
quit the shore. Captain Beeche
! wrote; I'VE remained with thel
! many DAYS, and their unreserve
! manners gave US the fullest oppo
> tunity of becoming acquainted wi,
e them. They live In perfect harmon
Q and contentment are virtuous an
, cheerful, and are hoepi,able beyon
7 the limits OF prudence.