The morning times., 1896-12-28
HE RULES IN PITCAIRN.
The Islands President Makes
Visit to This Country.

The Islands Pfe~lutUt Mahts 81
Visit to This Country.
Oakland Correspondent sd, F'ra.'eiseo EIam'"er-
The captain and crew of the missionary
brig Pitcairn were received al the Seventh
Day Adventist colony in Oakland laStnIght
and were given an informal reception
This afternoon the missionaries attended
Sabbath services and during the evening
experiences on the trip were related
The Pitcairn had jus. returned from
her firtl annual cruise among the islands
in the South Sea. Capt j r. Graham
and his crew sailed out or Oakland hdr-
hor on May 10. He has made the rounds
OF the mission stations and has exploited
new fields. The brig has gone into win
ter quarters.
An Interesting official came upon the
Pitcairn. in the person of Hon. j K
Mccoy, president of Pitcairn Island He
is the ruler Of that Iittle colony away down
south. and his word j. law. President
McCoy mas l3O subject, under him who
are ruled by a parliament of seven nen.
These men are elected every gear and they
select the president.
The parliament makes the laws, which
are then approved by the president Mr..
ticc and passes on cases where there ;
q controversy All Ills subjects are
Adventists Everything on the ISLAND
l. carried on by the cooperative plan
The president was born on the island and
has been chosen ruler for several years
Whenthe miSsiunary brig ldndcdat Pitcairn,
President Mccoy, who is engaged III mis-
sionary work, left affairs Of state Ia cha r.c
OF the vice president and made the tour
OF the islands with Capt Graham. IL
was his intention 10 land at the New
HcbrideS or Santa Cruz Islands and es-
tabllsh a mission there among the natives
and then work his way baCN TO his old
home. 1t was learned, however, that
the wild men of the South Sea stIll con-
slider white people an excellent article Of
diet, so President Mccoy postponed his
stay one year.
President McCoy found that the king
stiu reigns on PalInertSOn Island ana all
hisSubjects are members OF fther royal family.
In explaining his discovery on tniS island,
Mr. Mccoy tells an Interesting story. The
island is a long distance from any group
and is very lonely. The Pitcairn dropped
anchor ana party was sent ashore 10
explore the island. They had been on land
but a short time when President Mccoy
met the king, who announced that he was
the ruler Of the island He was q fuli-blOoded
white man ana wtat was more astonishing
To- the explorers. they found that everybody
on the island could speak he English lang
uage The hinS was found 20 he hale
and hearty. Jolly good fellow, and his sub
jects Were all prosperous They TILED The
soil and are a self sustaining people. There
were forty-five men, women and children
on the roll aS subjects of the king. and TINS
included everybody on the island Strange
to say, every subject is Related to the ruler.
The story of how this cid fellow came
to rule on this island i queer onc,' said
President Mccoy today Il nave the
story fIom his own lips. Many wears ago
he left his home in England and II IO-kcd
about the world as sailor Finally he
deserted his ship ara t. Oh refuge on one
Of the islands where there We're Il few
natives He learned the language and
became a great favoritc with thc people.
one day he selected two native women
for his wives and with them hc located
on PaImerStOa Island They We're the
first inhabitants of the island so far as
/ know The old sailor went 70 raising
cocolnuts. HIS sons grew up and they
wanted wives Their father fitted up
small vessel aud away these sons Went to
the nearest island and got themselves
wives. The population Of the island COM
menced To Increase very rapidly, until
now of the forty-fIve inhabitants every
one is related to the sailor king.
Down in Pitcairn, where | preside as
president and chief OF the department ar
justice, everything goes along smoothly.
1t is the ideal way for people 10 live, for
it i $ a case of everybody for his nei sh Dor.
our parliament of seven makes the laws
and elects a president. There is no saia-
ried office on the island. In fact. We do
not deal in money and there $ no circu-
lating medium on the island. one man
does all the trading and then division
is made. No one on the island is allowed
to get ahead of his neighbor. While We
fly the English nag, still we receive no
Of any kind from the English
government
Il started out TO take missionary trip
and went TO Tahiti Island, Raratonga
Palmerston, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, New
Hehrides. Banks and Santa Cruz Islands
| intended to establish nilsson at New
IIebrdes or Santa Cruz, but i found the
people too wild.
There are only two white men on the
whole group of Santa Cruz islands A
Mr.. Forest started a mission. hut he has
given it up and has gone into business.
He has an assistant and both of them
have had any narrow escapes from being
killed by the natives. l shall visit in
Oakland until our vessel leaves again. and
then / VIII return to my old home and
rlr inc l.rnt El,I Ilr. 4