The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-12-30

tyrannical officer and the men under
him had been captivated by the easy
life in Tahiti. On April % they mu-
TIMED, cast Bligh and IS other men
adrift in the ships launch and sailed
back to Tahiti. Bligh and his COM
panions reached the island of Timor
on the fourteenth of June, after sail
ing 5000 nautical miles in an open
boat and suffering dreadful privations.
Mutineers Made Merry.
Meanwhile the mutineers made mer-
ry for a while at Tahiti, but Fletcher
Christian, their leader, fearing pursuit,
decided to seek a more secure refuge.
However, some of the mutineers re-
fused to follow him, so Christian, with
eight of his shipmates, six Tahitian
men and Il Tahitian women, sailed
for Pitcairn island, where they arrived
and settled in 1880, after burning the
Bounty. Christian was justified in an
ticipating pursuit. In time Tahiti was
visited by another British man-Of-war
under Captain Edwards in search of
the mutineers. Fourteen of the six
teen who remained in Tahiti were cap
tured, and three of them were eXecut-
ed in September, 1892.
OF Christian and his company no
trace was discovered until 1903, when
Captain FOlger, an American skipper,
touched at Pitcairn island and found
their survivors and descendants liv-
ing there. In the meantime all Of the
mutineers except Alexander Smith, all
of the Tahitian men and several of
the women had died of disease or vio-
lence. After being informed of Cap
tain FOlger's discovery, the British
government took no steps in the mat
ter until 1914, when in September, III.
VI. s. Britain touched at the island and
found old Smith, or Adams, still alive,
commanding the respect and admira-
exemplary conduct and fatherly care
Of them.
The settlers there were visited
again by British ships in 1925 and
1880, and the later visitors confirmed
the testimony of the earlier as to
their exemplary conduct. In 1881
they deemed their populatiOn-Only 81
too great for the island, and at their
request many were transported by the
British government to Tahiti. But,
shocked by the morals of their Tahi-
tan relatives and friends, after a nine
months sOjOurn they returned to the
island at their own expense. n 1889
they besought Captain Elliott of III.
NJ. S. Fly, who visited them, to be
taken under the protection of the
British government because of annoy
ances from the lawless crews of whal-
ers who occasionally visited them.
Taken Over by British.
Captain Elliott accordingly took
possession of the island in the name
of Queen Victoria, gave them a Union
Jack and recognized their self-elected
magistrate. They were frequently Wis
tied by English ships until 1855, when,
again deeming their numbers too great
for the island, they petitioned the
British government to grant them the
larger and more productive Norfolk
island, to which they were removed in
1856. In 1859, two families, number
ing II persons, returned to Pitcairn
island, and the present inhabitants
are descended from those.
An officer of the British ship Opal,
which visited the island in 1879, wrote
as follows: "We just left place of
great interest, namely Pitcairn island.
After 30-days' passage from San
Francisco We sighted the island at 8
a. m. on the End of July and at ten
o'clock anchored off Bounty bay-the
first time a man-of-war has anchored
there for about twenty years, it being
customary to steam off and on the is
land while communicating with it.
Immediately on our arrival" he
wrote, "the islanders launched boat
through the surf, and came off with a
quantity of fruit for US. The chief
magistrate, whose name is Mccoy,
came on board, as did also some of the
Youngs and Christians. / say advis-
eddy some of them, for 1t is very diff
cult to find out who is who on the
island, they all being Youngs, Chris
tons, McCoys or Warrens, although
fashion is coming in vogue-owing
to the confusion caused by there be-
Ing only about five names between 80
persons-Of individuals assuming
names. Thus one of the Christians
has taken the name of Downes, and
Is bringing up a family under that
cognomen, while another has assumed
the name of Selwyn. If this continues
into a few generations 1t will be hard
TO trace their connection with the orig
inal names of tho Poupty1