The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-15
MORALITY ON Pacific ISLANDS
A Contrast Between Conditions In the
Marquesas Group and on Pitcairn.

Marqucsas Group and on Pitcairn.
A recent traveller among the Pacific
islands says that both the Roman Catholic
and Protestant missionaries in the Mar
quesas group. who have been there for many
years, feel obliged 10 admit that as a rule
they have been able to change the lives
of he natives in external form only. Cloth
ing is worn n hymns are sung instead Of
savage songs: marriage j. noIninally prac-
tised. but underneath all this everything
is absolutely as II was In pagan times. The
state of morality Is very low.
Another traveller says that since the
Introduction by the missionaries OF kava,
the refreshing and but slightly intoxicating
beverage whose use was once widely spread
over Polynesia, II has been almost every
where replaced by the more dangerous
brandy distilled from orange juice. 40
cording TO the testimony Of these and
other observers missionary work among
the simple and gentle natives Of Polynesia
has fallen far short Of the good results
that were hoped to be attained,
There IL one conspicuous exception 70
the universal story Of the blighting effects
of white civilization upon the natives Of
Polynesia. II Is found on the solitary island
Of Pitcairn, where live many Of the de-
scendants Of the mutineers OF the Bounty,
who took refuge on that island with twelve
women of Tahiti and started a mixed raos.
half English and half Polynesian. Some
Tahitian men who were also brought 10
the island were not permitted to associate
with the women. After ten years Of horror.
during which all the native men were killed
and the mutineers. one after another, had
fal1Ar x,fUttpna nitlnr 10 Ar1Yp Lanpnaa 90.
to the jealousy and hatred Of the others,
there remained only one white man, nine
native women and their half-breei children,
nineteen in number. Tie total population
was thus twenty-rine souls.
The white man was Alexander Smith. a
common sailor, who had changed his name
TO John Adams in the hope that II Pitcairn
was visited by a vessel he might be able
20 conceal his identity. 1t was the influence
of this remarkable man that surrounded
his people with conditions which contrib
uted to their happiness, longevity and in
crease in numbers; for while In other islands
the natives have been rapidly disappearing
the mixed bloods of Pitcairn have steadily
increased, now numbering on that island
and on Norfolk Island about 600 souls.
When Adams found himself alone with
these twenty-eight helpless women and
children he felt that he owed It to them
TO be their father, their teacher and exam
pie, The last of his race among them, re
decided that his life should be devoted 10
making good men and women OF those
children and to celebrating from their
minds. as far as he was able the horrible
memories Of their tendereet years. He
was not specially bound 10 any Of the women
by intimate relations, for tho rest Of his
life he was, In the purest and best sense,
the friend, the guide, the father OF all. The
subsequent population Of Pitcairn Island
came from intermarriages among those
nineteen children except that George
II. Nobbe, a man Of education and char
acter, became a member Of the colony tho
wear before Adams's death, married a native
woman and succeeded 10 q. leadership.
and two other white men were admitted In a
later generation. Those Pitcairn Islanders
who are now living on Norfolk Island have
married more freely with outsiders.
Religion was the basis of Adams's Cow
IN and Of the refining and cultural
Influences he introduced. He had only
two books, the Bible and an Episcopal
prayer book. He derived his o Of rules
for conduct from the Bible. Morality, un-
~selishness, industry and brotherly love
were the foundations Of the social orgail-
yation. During Adams's life there were no
drunkenness, no crime. no offences against
morality. Only one case i known OF the
lapse from virtue OF a Pitcairn Island girl
and that Wa seventy years ago, during tus
unfortunate period when the Islanders were
temporarily removed % Tahiti during a
season Of drought, it lHing feared nat
their water supply on Pitcairn would 10
wholly Inadequate for their needs. Though
the original native mothers ak Their
own language MI they died. English VS.
the mother tongue Of all the children Al
were required % work The cultivation (
their small plantations Of yam, cocoaur'-.
bananas and oranges. the car" Of 'h"r
vegetable gardens and 81 o." flowers "i'',
were their only adjournment. 'lo rui-.ls =
doves. hens, goats and a '.w swine aia 90
psh caught around their rocky cont e.'o
th.rp abundant occupatiuu. ul4 Adams,
taught them to read, writ" and rirg '-
strIct~I them > geography and hiiuhin'''
and Wa their B4hle teacher
Mr = I~auglev Who haS recently vi.''i
the MArIl'-t7 group, says that n" r'.a-
,i,r - N4KalIva. the most irl .'.''
fN.HHUH NH tN|N 'H NNA W. 70 .NA'IA' N..|
., Az WV f. % that tie I".|I
I-llri,rs Lave multipli~i Gui p0.-Isf.i
fl. nit. u''ur terrible first chaI'Hr u' i'.T
hI-,.lr,8 lla reason IL largely ',,a %
t.aIt .r uuuu they have h-.r A... 4
fr.m tNr rHugh'r ~inayrno's AMI ole ' n
KINDLY luf mistaken acts - tNn H''s
viHi ora tsufiug g. a." ritH''.
J. .,nuHau taos Ior Dot ..y oil.
arI H.-a-.a ~iutfuiuoaI lN vI'. u.. &
ole. tl. adoptluu q I~4tIIaaa =
I..lrUug a." natlso. mHfr
o. uItrFa= q tnmIEratuf, anI fhf
r,#sl.u ~ u4u mlnsluuaIl,r IT Go
2 HaI asiimss, f.afts aIat IaH
Y .Iafat.i - Nsaf tustU..iHU
Tie fltAifu lslan1ofH HH Nh. Hfl.'I .s|.
b Ith hH4f sdnlsfup. = EF.NA l4..H' 1--we
u.tt siAfHliA Hnd Dl4fbF tlfY
l4HtR ann Vffua lata4u thsF laf
iaUyIi uauu - a.iu lr HHf fIs
tiFIf ntra IL s aaNI N|I tHH r
iH.afaiNF q alIIH tffHI .
ihr 60 rlaH frHi H.HI
~ ur rIsaf.u iHtffut.FI
af iaaliss lls 10 '
tifHs ns-sl ~. ~ ls = Oh.
iiHT 49, ole aBf tsts Al. IrHH.
af.4aH HHaHHU =. q HH. H.#