The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-10
MODERN CRUS0ES.
IDYLLIC LIFE OF CASTAWAYa
ON PACIFIC ISLANDS. ~
Happy and Simple Existence OF Lit,
tie Colonies Dwelling in the
Midst Of the Sea-The
Pitcairn Islanders. ~

About four months ago, as the English
bark Queens Island was passing Palmers-
ton Island in the Southern Pacific, the
captain was surprised to see boat con.;
tanning eight persons put OF from the
shore. It was generally supposed that
this coral island, one of the least import.
ant of the Hervey group. and about three
hundred miles from its nearest neighbor,
was uninhabited. Captain Reid, how
ever, had accidently approached near
enough to this little speck in the ocean
to discover another of those romantic
island settlements which are now and
then unexpectedly found in the broad
expanse of the great. Pacific. q
The bronzed and rather scantily clad
white man who clambeIed up the side OF
the bark said he was William Marston,
the chief of the little island, where no
hal lived for twenty-five years. When
he was a young man he deserted from
the British bark Rifeman in Tahiti and
made his way in small sailboat nearly
one thousand miles west to the Hervey
group. He took native wife, and
journeyed on to Palmerston Island,
where he built him a cabin and started
q cocoanut plantation. A few natives
Joined him, and now his little world
contains thirty-three human beings, OF
whom fifteen are his own children,
English is the only language spoken IN
his little community, whose island, home
is not so large as some Dakota farms.
Here the subjects of the runaway English
sailor live on the happiest terms, getting
along without the news and gossip Of
the world, while enjoying, nevertheless,
many of the good things of civilization
broug hit to them by small trading vessels,
to whom they sell the copra prepared
from their cocoanuts.
Within the past few years several
islands have been discovered in the
Pacific which, it was found, had long
been known by small traders, who in the
interests of monopoly carefully kept
their information to themselves. After
the Sidney newspapers announced tho
discovery of q fine new island not far
from New Guinea, a sea captain in port
produced very good map of the island
which he had made several years before.
He had probably hoped to hand down
the secret to his heirs as an exclusive:
trad :ng privilege In this way it has
happened that Marston's little colony has,
flourished unknown save to one or two
traders, whose interests have kept them
quiet. .s-'s
Hundreds of the little islands of the
Pacific are uninhabited and are very
rarely seen by vessels. Who knows but
among them may be modern Robinson
Crnsoes, waiting patiently for q sail and
living in fair degree of comfort upon
the bounties of which nature is so lavish
in those regions2 The story Of Mr. Bell
and his little family, who are monarchs
of all they survey in the Kermadecs
group, 800 miles from their nearest
neighbors, was recently told in the New
York Sun. The passengers and crew OF
the bark Henry James, who were rescued
in Nav last from coral reef In Poly
nesia, know what it is to be castaways In
the Pacific many hundred miles from in-.
habited islands. If they had not fortu-
nately saved their small boat they might
have been prisoners for many months on
the little island. Five men in the boat
carried the news of their disaster 1900
miles. to Samoa, and in less than two
months deliverance came. They needed
clothing, but were not otherwise In
serious want, for fish and cocoanuts had
amply supplemented the slender food
supplies with which they had reached
their place of refuge. T.. p .
Among the jubilee presents received
by Queen Victoria were some hats and
other manufactures, most skillfnlly made
! of straw, the humble tribute OF the most
UNIQUE and famous of Pacific colonlsta
) In 1890 the Pitcairn islanders may ceie.
brate their centennial of the landing OF
their mutinous fathers on the little rock
where Lady Belcher, their historian,
says thew have become Fsuch commu-
nity as has been the dream of poets and
the aspiration of philosophers" 1t Is
not Otter the world hears from these
happy and peaceful islanders now num-
bering 112 souls, who have perpetuated
the remarkable colony founded ninety.
, eight years ago by English sailors, but
it is refresh.ng now and then to con.
template theis idyllic existence, cut on
=. as they are from the busy world, tillin8
the fertile valleys of their little home
only two and q quarter miles in extent,
, possessing a schoolhouse and church
but no jail; intelligent neat and clean,
.. with plenty of books and fruit and flow,
! e-s. q simple hearted, devout people, ana
the only Christian community IN tna
8 world that has no strong drink, tobacco,
or money. 49,.
!, A traveller on an English bark whlch
touched at Pitcairn in February last says
? he saw among the islanders men who IN
I stature would be credit to the Royal
! Guards and women who were fair to see
!. though their garments were not rich ano
shionable-women who are skilled IN
the arts of house-wifery, in the making
of fancy baskets and shell work, ano
some too, who can play excellentiy on
the little church organ. Born to TINS
life of isolation, the Pitcairn Islander
hears with wonder and delight. but with.
: out envy, of the world beyond his sea:
rirt home. When, years ago, Pitcairn
became too crowded, considering lts
slender resources, and the people were
removed nv Great Britain to Norfolk,
that island, small as it is, bewildered
them by it's vastness. Having only loot
paths in Pitcairn, they thought tne
wagon roads of Norfolk unsightly, and
the echoes aroused by their voices in the
stone quarter where convicts had once
lived impressed them as most disagree
able novelty. A min ,rity decided tha'
thew could not be happy among thes!
strange surroundings, and they returned
10 Pitcairn to live. Chicago Herald.