Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-06-14

A STREET
mariners during the next 160 or more
years touched at the island, each Civ
ing it new name, but it was not until
the visit of the Bounty, an English YES
sci sailed by Capt. Bligh, that Tahiti
sprang into worldwide notoriety. 1t
and the Bounty still live immortal In
the pages OF literature.
Mutiny on tho Bounty.
In 1887 Capt. Bligh sailed from En-
gland to Tahiti for the purpose of
transporting breadfruit trees and other
plants 10 Jamaica. When he reached
the island the season was too advanced
for transplanting, and during his en-
forced stay there Of six months the
crew grew enamored of the tropical
isle. The dangerous climate, the hap
by indolent lives of the natives, the
lavishness with which nature supplied
the people with all their wants, con-
trasted with their own struggle for ex-
istence deeply impressed them and a
mutiny was decided on. A few days
after the sailing Of the vessel
April 20, 1889, the ship was
seized and Capt. Bligh and Is
others. who would not join the
mutineers, were placed in small boat,
supplied with water and food and
turned adrift on the ocean. The muffin
GERS headed the vessel back to Tahiti.
Here one of them named Christian and
eight others, after the rest had landed,
induced nine men and many
women to go aboard and with these
they sailed for Pitcairn island, at that
time almost unknown to seamen. De-
termined to cut off all traces of them
selves, the mutineers, when they reach
ed Pitcairn island beached and burned
the Bounty. There the mutineers lived
peacefully for a time-the Tahitian
women as their wives, the men as
their slaves-but finally dissensions
sprang up, the slaves rebelled and Of
all the mutineers on the island only
two escaped violent death. In 1908
Capt. Folger of Nantucket, Mass,
touched at Pitcairn island, and found
only one surviving mutineer, Alexan-
der Smith, who subsequently changed
his name to Adams. Up to that time
the fate of the Bounty and the men
who sailed on 1t after it had for the
second time departed from Tahiti with
the 10 natives aboard was unknown.
Birth of New Civilization.
Capt. Folger found that Smith, or
or Adams, had formed new civiliza-
ton on the island. The mutineer had
organized a divine service in accord
ance with the forms of the Anglican
church, and had established school Of
which he was the head. AS result of
his labors, the people, descendants of
the mutineers and the native women,
grew up simple-minded, honest and re-
liglous.
So beneficent was the work of Adams
and so nearly ideal was the colony of
which he was the head that he was par
doned and permitted to remain on the
island. Ever since that time the colony
has existed and passing ships have
furnished it with necessary supplies in
return for the products Of the island.
Just at present new interest centers |
in tie colony because OF the startling
fact that when the bark !nveneill,
which has just arrived at San Francis
co, passed Pitcairn no sign of life was
visible, though the most careful inspec-
ton was made with powerful glasses.
1t is possible that after Ill years the
little colony has been wiped out by
famine or pestilence The island is
but dot on the ocean, being little
over two miles in length.
Meantime the mutineers who had
+ cen left on the island OF Tahiti were
called to account for their crime. Cap.
Blight and his IS companions, after
covering a distance of 3,617 nautical
miles, an unprecedented voyage for ;.n
open boat. succeeded In reaching the