making a total of twenty-seven. Of these were remaining in 1800, one man
and five women, with nineteen children, the eldest nine years of age,
making in the whole twenty-five. In 1808, Mr. Folger makes the
population amount to thirty-five, being an increase of ten in eight
years. In 1814, six years afterwards, Sir Thomas Staines states the
_adult_ population at forty, which must be a mistake, as fourteen years
before, nineteen of the twenty-five then existing were children. In
1825, Captain Beechey states the whole population at sixty-six, of whom
thirty-six were males, and thirty females. And in 1830, Captain
Waldegrave makes it amount to seventy-nine; being an increase of
thirteen in five years, or twenty per cent, which is a less rapid
increase than might be expected; but there can be little doubt it will
go on with an accelerated ratio, provided the means of subsistence
should not fail them.
Captain Waldegrave's assumption, that this island is sufficiently large
for the maintenance of one thousand souls, is grounded on incorrect
data; it does not follow, that because one-twelfth of the island will
maintain eighty persons, the whole must support nine hundred and sixty
persons. The island is not more than four square miles, or two thousand
five hundred and sixty acres; and as a ridge of rocky hills runs from
north to south, having two peaks exceeding one thousand feet in height,
it is more than probable that not one half of it is capable of
cultivation. It would seem, indeed, from several ancient morais being
discovered among these hills; some stone axes or hatchets of compact
basaltic lava, very hard and capable of a fine polish; four stone
images, about six feet high, placed on a platform, not unlike those on
Easter Island, one of which has been preserved, and is the rude
representation of the human figure to the hips, hewn out of a piece of
red lava:--these remains would seem to indicate a former population,
that had found it expedient to abandon the island from its insufficiency
to support it. Captain Beechey observes, that 'from these images and the
large piles of stones, on heights to which they must have been dragged
with great labour, it may be concluded that the island was inhabited for
a considerable time; and from bones being found, always buried under
these piles, and never upon the surface, we may presume that those who
survived, quitted the island in their canoes to seek an asylum
elsewhere.'
It appears from Beechey, that Adams had contemplated the prospect of an
increasing population with the limited means of supporting it, and
requested that he would communicate with the British Government upon the
subject, which he says he did, and that, through the interference of the
Admiralty and Colonial Office, means have been taken for removing them
to any place they may choose for themselves. It is to be hoped, however,
that no such interference will take place; for half a century, at least,
there is no danger of any want of food. The attempt, however, was made
through the means of a Mr. Nott, a missionary of Otaheite, who, being on
a visit to this country, was authorized, on his return, to make
arrangements for their removal to Otaheite, if they wished it, and if
Pomarre, the king of the island, should not object to receive them; and
he carried a letter to this chief from Lord Bathurst, acquainting him
with the intention of the British Government, and expressing the hope
that he would be induced to receive under his protection a people whose
moral and religious character had created so lively an interest in their
favour; but it fortunately happened that this missionary passed the
island without stopping. A Mr. Joshua Hill subsequently proposed their
removal to New South Wales, but his vessel was considered too small for
the purpose.
Two years after this, as difficulties had occurred to prevent the
above-mentioned intentions from being carried into effect, Sir George
Murray deemed it desirable that no time should be lost in affording such
assistance to these islanders as might, at all events, render their
present abode as comfortable as circumstances would allow, _until_
arrangements could be made for their future disposal, either in one of
the Society Islands, as originally proposed, or at one of our
settlements on New Holland. The assistance here alluded to has been
afforded, as above mentioned, by his Majesty's ship _Seringapatam_.
It is sincerely to be hoped that such removal will be no longer thought
of. No complaint was made, no apprehension of want expressed to Captain
Waldegrave, who left them contented and happy; and Captain Beechey,
since his return, has received a letter from John Buffet, who informs
him of a notification made by Nott the missionary at Otaheite, that the
king was willing to receive them, and that measures would be taken for
their removal; but, he adds, the people are so much attached to, and
satisfied with, their native island, as not to have a wish to leave it.
The breaking up of this happy, innocent, and simple-minded little
society, by some summary process, and consigning them to those sinks of
infamy on New Holland or Van Diemen's Land, or to mix them up with the
dram-drinkers, the psalmsingers, and the languid and lazy Otaheitans,
would, in either case, be a subject of deep regret to all who take an
interest in their welfare; and to themselves would be the inevitable
loss of all those amiable qualities which have obtained for them the
kind and generous sympathy of their countrymen at home. We have a person
who acts as consul at Otaheite, and it is to be hoped he will receive
instructions, on no account to sanction, but on the contrary to
interdict, any measure that maybe attempted on the part of the
missionaries for their removal;--perhaps, however, as money would be
required for such a purpose, they may be considered safe from that
quarter.
The time must come when they will emigrate on their own accord. When the
hive is full, they will send out their swarms. Captain Beechey tells us
that the reading of some books of voyages and travels, belonging to
Bligh and left in the _Bounty_, had created a desire in some of them to
leave it; but that family ties and an ardent affection for each other,
and for their native soil, had always interposed, on the few occasions
that offered, to prevent individuals going away singly. George Adams,
however, who had failed when the _Blossom_ was there to soften the heart
of Polly Young, and had no wife to detain him, was very anxious to
embark in that ship, that he might see something of the world beyond the
narrow limits of his own little island; and Beechey would have taken
him, had not his mother wept bitterly at the idea of parting from him,
and wished to impose terms touching his return to the island, that could
not be acceded to.
Pitcairn Island lies at the south-eastern extremity of a chain of
islands, which, including the Society and Friendly Islands, exceed a
hundred in number, many of them wholly uninhabited, and the rest but
thinly peopled, all speaking the same or nearly the same language, which
is also spoken by the natives of Pitcairn Island; and all of the two
groups are richly clothed with the spontaneous products of nature fit
for the use of man. To all these they will have, when necessity prompts
them, easy means of access. No large vessels are required for an
emigration of this kind; the frailest barks and single canoes have been
driven hundreds of miles over the Pacific. The Pitcairners have already
proceeded from the simple canoe to row-boats, and the progress from this
to small decked vessels is simple and natural. They may thus at some
future period, which is not at all improbable, be the means of spreading
Christianity and consequently civilization throughout the numerous
groups of islands in the Southern Pacific; whereas to remove them, as
has been imprudently suggested, would be to devote them at once to
misery and destruction.
That there is no deficiency in the number and variety of plants,
producing food and clothing for the use of man, will appear from the
following list, which is far from being complete:
INDIGENOUS
_Cocos nucifera_ Cocoa-nut.
_Musa Paradisiaca_ Plantains.
_Musa sapientum_ Bananas.
_Dioscorea sativum_ Yams.
_Convolvulus batatas_ Sweet potatoes.
_Arum, esculentum_ Taro Root.
_Arum costatum_ Yappa.
_Broussonetia papyrifera_ Cloth-tree.
_Dracæna terminalis_ _Tee_-plant.
_Aleurites triloba_ Doodoe.
_Morinda citrifolia_ Nono.
---- Toonena, a large timber tree.
_Ficus indica_ Banyan-tree.
_Morus chinensis_ Mulberry.
_Pandanus odoratissimus_ (?)
And a great number of other indigenous plants, some of which are useful
and others ornamental.
INTRODUCED
_Artocarpus incisa_ Bread-fruit.
_Cucurbita citrullus_ Water-melons
_Cucurbita pepo_ Pumpkins.
_Solanum esculenlum_ Potatoes.
_Nicotiana tabaccum_ Tobacco.
_Citrus lemoneum_ Lemon.
---- _aurantium_ Orange.
Besides these they have European peas, beans, and onions; sugar-canes,
ginger, pepper, and turmeric. In fact, situated as the island is, in a
temperate climate just without the tropic, and enjoying abundance of
rain, there is scarcely any vegetable, with the exception of a few of
the equinoxial plants, that may not be cultivated here. The zea maize,
or Indian corn, would be infinitely useful both for themselves, their
poultry, and their pigs.
As a great part of the island is at present covered with trees, which
would necessarily give way to an extended cultivation, and as trees
attract rain, Captain Waldegrave seems to think that when these are
removed showers will be less frequent; but there is little fear of this
being the case; the central ridge, with points that exceed eleven
hundred feet in height, will more effectually attract and condense the
clouds than any quantity of trees growing at a less elevation; and there
can be little doubt that plenty of water will be found by digging at the
foot of the hills or close to the sea-coast.
The climate appears to be unexceptionable. During the sixteen days of
December (the height of summer) that the _Blossom_ remained there, the
range of the thermometer on the island, from nine in the morning till
three in the afternoon, was from 76° to 80°; on board ship from 74° to
76°; from whence Captain Beechey places the mean temperature during that
time at 76-1/2°. In winter he says the southwesterly winds blow very
cold, and even snow has been known to fall.
Not one visitor to this happy island has taken leave of its amiable
inhabitants without a feeling of regret. Captain Beechey says, 'When we
were about to take leave, our friends assembled to express their regret
at our departure. All brought some little present for our acceptance,
which they wished us to keep in remembrance of them; after which they
accompanied us to the beach, where we took our leave of the female part
of the inhabitants. Adams and the young men pushed off in their own boat
to the ship, determined to accompany us to sea, as far as they could
with safety. They continued on board, unwilling to leave us, until we
were a considerable distance from land, when they shook each of us
feelingly by the hand, and, amidst expressions of the deepest concern
at our departure, wished us a prosperous voyage, and hoped that we might
one day meet again. As soon as they were clear of the ship, they all
stood up in their boat, and gave us three hearty cheers, which were as
heartily returned. As the weather became foggy, the barge towed them
towards the shore, and we took a final leave of them, unconscious, until
the moment of separation, of the warm interest their situation and good
conduct had created in us.'
Happy, thrice happy people! May no improper intruders thrust themselves
into your peaceful and contented society! May that Providence which has
hitherto protected you, still continue to pour down those blessings upon
you, of which you appear to be so truly sensible, and for which you are
justly thankful! May it throw round the shores of your enviable little
Eden, 'cherubim and a flaming sword,' to guard its approaches from those
who would endanger your peace; and above all, shield you from those, who
would perplex and confuse your unsophisticated minds, by mysterious
doctrines which they do not themselves comprehend! Remain steadfast to
the faith, which your late father and benefactor has instilled into your
minds, culled from the precepts of your Bible, and be content for the
present to observe those simple rules for your religious and moral
conduct, which he has taught you, and which he drew pure and undefiled
from that sacred source; and be assured that, so long as you shall
adhere to the line of conduct you have hitherto pursued, and be
contented with your present lot, your happiness is secure; but once
admit ignorant or false teachers among you, and from that period you may
date the commencement of misfortunes and misery!
CONCLUSION
Many useful and salutary lessons of conduct may be drawn from this
eventful history, more especially by officers of the navy, both old and
young, as well as by those subordinate to them. In the first place, it
most strongly points out the dreadful consequences that are almost
certain to ensue from a state of insubordination and mutiny on board a
ship of war; and the equally certain fate that, at one time or other,
awaits all those who have the misfortune to be concerned in a
transaction of this revolting nature. In the present instance, the
dreadful retribution which overtook them, and which was evinced in a
most extraordinary manner, affords an awful and instructive lesson to
seamen, by which they may learn, that although the guilty may be secured
for a time in evading the punishment due to the offended laws of
society, yet they must not hope to escape the pursuit of Divine
vengeance. It will be recollected that the number of persons who
remained in the _Bounty_, after her piratical seizure, and of course
charged with the crime of mutiny, was twenty-five; that these
subsequently separated into two parties, sixteen having landed at
Otaheite, and afterwards taken from thence in the _Pandora_, as
prisoners, and nine having gone with the _Bounty_ to Pitcairn's Island.
Of the sixteen taken in the _Pandora_:--
1. Mr PETER HEYWOOD, midshipman, } sentenced to death,
but pardoned.
2. JAMES MORRISON, boatswain's mate, } do.
3. WILLIAM MUSPRATT, commander's steward,} do.
4. THOS. BURKITT, seaman } condemned and executed.
5. JOHN MILLWARD, do. } do.
6. THOS. ELLISON, do. } do.
7. JOSEPH COLEMAN, armourer } do.
8. CHARLES NORMAN, carpenter's mate } tried and acquitted.
9. THOS. M'INTOSH, carpenter's crew } do.
10. MICHAEL BYRNE, seaman } do
11. Mr. GEORGE STEWART, midshipman } drowned in irons
12. JOHN SUMNER, seaman } when the
13. RICHARD SKINNER, seaman } _Pandora_
14. HENRY HILLBRANT, cooper } was wrecked.
15. CHAS. CHURCHILL, master-at-arms, murdered by Matthew
Thompson.
16. MATTHEW THOMPSON, seaman, murdered by Churchill's
friends in Otaheite.
Of the nine who landed on Pitcairn's Island:
1. Mr. FLETCHER CHRISTIAN, acting-lieut. } murdered by the
Otaheitans.
2. JOHN WILLIAMS, seaman } do.
3. ISAAC MARTIN, do. } do.
4. JOHN MILLS, gunner's mate } do.
5. WILLM. BROWN, botanist's assistant } do.
6. MATTHEW QUINTAL, seaman, put to death by Young
and Adams in self-defence.
7. WILLIAM M'KOY, seaman, became insane, and killed
by throwing himself from
a rock.
8. Mr. EDWARD YOUNG, midshipman, died of asthma.
9. ALEX. SMITH, _alias_ John Adams, seaman, died in 1829.
Young officers of the navy, as well as the common seamen, may also
derive some useful lessons from the events of this history. They will
see the melancholy results of affording the least encouragement for
seamen to depart from their strict line of duty, and to relax in that
obedience to the orders of superiors, by which alone the discipline of
the service can be preserved; they will learn how dangerous it is to
show themselves careless and indifferent in executing those orders, by
thus setting a bad example to the men. It ought also to enforce on their
minds, how necessary it is to avoid even the appearance of acting in any
way that can be considered as repugnant to, or subversive of, the rules
and regulations of the service; and most particularly to guard against
any conduct that may have the appearance of lowering the authority of
their superiors, either by their words or actions.
No doubt can remain on the minds of unprejudiced persons, or such as are
capable of weighing evidence, that the two young midshipmen, Stewart and
Hey wood, were perfectly innocent of any share in the transaction in
question; and yet, because they happened to be left in the ship, not
only contrary to their wish and intention, but kept down below by force,
the one lost his life, by being drowned in chains, and the other was
condemned to die, and only escaped from suffering the last penalty of
the law by a recommendation to the royal mercy. The only point in which
these two officers failed, was, that they did not at once demand
permission to accompany their commander, while they were allowed to
remain on deck and had the opportunity of doing so. The manly conduct
of young Heywood, throughout his long and unmerited sufferings, affords
an example of firmness, fortitude, and resignation to the Divine will,
that is above all praise; in fact, nothing short of conscious innocence
could have supported him in the severe trials he had to undergo.
The melancholy effects which tyrannical conduct, harsh and opprobrious
language, ungovernable passion, and a worrying and harassing temper, on
the part of naval commanders, seldom fail to produce on the minds of
those who are subject to their capricious and arbitrary command, are
strongly exemplified in the cause and consequences of the mutiny in the
_Bounty_, as described in the course of this history. Conduct of this
kind, by making the inferior officers of a ship discontented and
unhappy, has the dangerous tendency, as in the case of Christian, to
incite the crew to partake in their discontent, and be ready to assist
in any plan to get rid of the tyrant. We may see in it, also, how very
little credit a commander is likely to gain, either with the service or
the public at large, when the duties of a ship are carried on, as they
would appear to have been in the _Pandora_, in a cold, phlegmatic, and
unfeeling manner, and with an indifference to the comfort of all around
him,--subjecting offenders of whatever description to unnecessary
restraint, and a severity of punishment, which, though strictly within
the letter of the law, contributes in no way to the ends of discipline
or of justice.
The conduct of Bligh, however mistaken he may have been in his mode of
carrying on the duties of the ship, was most exemplary throughout the
long and perilous voyage he performed in an open boat, on the wide
ocean, with the most scanty supply of provisions and water, and in the
worst weather. The result of such meritorious conduct holds out every
encouragement to both officers and men, by showing them that, by
firmness and perseverance, and the adoption of well-digested measures,
steadily ursued in spite of opposition, the most hopeless undertaking,
to all appearance, may be successfully accomplished.
And lastly--The fate that has attended almost every one of those
concerned in the mutiny and piracy of his Majesty's ship _Bounty_ ought
to operate as a warning to, and make a deep impression on the minds of,
our brave seamen, not to suffer themselves to be led astray from the
straightforward line of their duty, either by order or persuasion of
some hot-brained, thoughtless, or designing person, whether their
superior or equal, but to remain faithful, under all circumstances, to
their commanding officer, as any mutinous proceedings or disobedience of
his orders are sure to be visited upon them in the long run, either by
loss of life, or by a forfeiture of that liberal provision which the
British government has bestowed on its seamen for long and faithful
services.
P.S.--Just as this last sheet came from the press, the editor has
noticed, with a feeling of deep and sincere regret, a paragraph in the
newspapers, said to be extracted from an American paper, stating that a
vessel sent to Pitcairn's Island by the missionaries of Otaheite has
carried off the whole of the settlers to the latter island. If this be
true--and the mention of the name of Nott gives a colour to the
transaction--the 'cherubim' must have slept, the 'flaming sword' have
been sheathed, and another Eden has been lost: and, what is worse than
all, that native simplicity of manners, that purity of morals, and that
singleness of heart, which so peculiarly distinguished this little
interesting society, are all lost. They will now be dispersed among the
missionary stations as humble dependents, where Kitty Quintal and the
rest of them may get 'food for their souls,' such as it is, in exchange
for the substantial blessings they enjoyed on Pitcairn's Island.
ADDITIONAL NOTE
In reference to the subject of extraordinary passages made in open boats
on the wide ocean, and the note thereon at page 127, the following may
be added as another instance, the most painfully interesting, and the
most calamitous, perhaps, ever recorded. It was related to Mr. Bennet, a
gentleman deputed by the Missionary Society of London, together with the
Rev. Daniel Tyerman, to visit their several stations in the South Sea
Islands, by Captain George Pollard, the unfortunate sufferer, whom these
gentlemen met with at Raiatea, then a passenger in an American vessel,
having a second time lost his ship near the Sandwich Islands. The
narrative is extracted from _The Journal of Voyages and Travels_, just
published, of the two gentlemen above-mentioned, and is as follows:--
'My first shipwreck was in open sea, on the 20th of November, 1820, near
the equator, about 118 degrees W. long. The vessel, a South Sea whaler,
was called the _Essex_. On that day, as we were on the look-out for
sperm whales, and had actually struck two, which the boats' crews were
following to secure, I perceived a very large one--it might be eighty
or ninety feet long--rushing with great swiftness through the water,
right towards the ship. We hoped that she would turn aside, and dive
under, when she perceived such a baulk in her way. But no! the animal
came full force against our stern-post: had any quarter less firm been
struck, the vessel must have been burst; as it was, every plank and
timber trembled, throughout her whole bulk.
'The whale, as though hurt by a severe and unexpected concussion, shook
its enormous head, and sheered off to so considerable a distance that
for some time we had lost sight of her from the starboard quarter; of
which we were very glad, hoping that the worst was over. Nearly an hour
afterwards, we saw the same fish--we had no doubt of this, from her
size, and the direction in which she came--making again towards us. We
were at once aware of our danger, but escape was impossible. She dashed
her head this time against the ship's side, and so broke it in that the
vessel filled rapidly, and soon became water-logged. At the second
shock, expecting her to go down, we lowered our three boats with the
utmost expedition, and all hands, twenty in the whole, got into
them--seven, and seven, and six. In a little while, as she did not sink,
we ventured on board again, and, by scuttling the deck, were enabled to
get out some biscuit, beef, water, rum, two sextants, a quadrant, and
three compasses. These, together with some rigging, a few muskets,
powder, etc., we brought away; and, dividing the stores among our three
small crews, rigged the boats as well as we could; there being a
compass for each, and a sextant for two, and a quadrant for one, but
neither sextant nor quadrant for the third.[42] Then, instead of pushing
away for some port, so amazed and bewildered were we that we continued
sitting in our places gazing upon the ship, as though she had been an
object of the tenderest affection. Our eyes could not leave her, till,
at the end of many hours, she gave a slight reel, then down she sank. No
words can tell our feelings. We looked at each other--we looked at the
place where she had so lately been afloat--and we did not cease to look,
till the terrible conviction of our abandoned and perilous situation
roused us to exertion, if deliverance were yet possible.
'We now consulted about the course which it might be best to
take--westward to India, eastward to South America, or south-westward to
the Society Isles. We knew that we were at no great distance from
Tahiti, but were so ignorant of the state and temper of the inhabitants,
that we feared we should be devoured by cannibals, if we cast ourselves
on their mercy. It was determined, therefore, to make for South America,
which we computed to be more than two thousand miles distant.
Accordingly we steered eastward, and though for several days harassed
with squalls, we contrived to keep together. It was not long before we
found that one of the boats had started a plank, which was no wonder,
for whale-boats are all clinker-built, and very slight, being made of
half-inch plank only, before planing. To remedy this alarming defect we
all turned to, and having emptied the damaged boat into the two others,
we raised her side as well as we could, and succeeded in restoring the
plank at the bottom. Through this accident, some of our biscuit had
become injured by the salt-water. This was equally divided among the
several boats' crews. Food and water, meanwhile, with our utmost
economy, rapidly failed. Our strength was exhausted, not by abstinence
only, but by the labours which we were obliged to employ to keep our
little vessels afloat amidst the storms which repeatedly assailed us.
One night we were parted in rough weather; but though the next day we
fell in with one of our companion-boats, we never saw or heard any more
of the other, which probably perished at sea, being without either
sextant or quadrant.[43]
'When we were reduced to the last pinch, and out of everything, having
been more than three weeks abroad, we were cheered with the sight of a
low, uninhabited island, which we reached in hope, but were bitterly
disappointed. There were some barren bushes and many rocks on this
forlorn spot. The only provision that we could procure were a few birds
and their eggs: this supply was soon reduced; the sea-fowls appeared to
have been frightened away, and their nests were left empty after we had
once or twice plundered them. What distressed us most was the utter want
of fresh water; we could not find a drop anywhere, till, at the extreme
verge of ebb tide, a small spring was discovered in the sand; but even
that was too scanty to afford us sufficient to quench our thirst before
it was covered by the waves at their turn.
'There being no prospect but that of starvation here, we determined to
put to sea again. Three of our comrades, however, chose to remain, and
we pledged ourselves to send a vessel to bring them off, if we ourselves
should ever escape to a Christian port. With a very small morsel of
biscuit for each, and a little water, we again ventured out on the wide
ocean. In the course of a few days our provisions were consumed. Two men
died; we had no other alternative than to live upon their remains. These
we roasted to dryness by means of fires kindled on the ballast-sand at
the bottom of the boats.[44] When this supply was spent, what could we
do? We looked at each other with horrid thoughts in our minds, but we
held our tongues. I am sure that we loved one another as brothers all
the time; and yet our looks told plainly what must be done. We cast
lots, and the fatal one fell on my poor cabin-boy. I started forward
instantly, and cried out, "My lad, my lad, _if you don't like your lot_,
I'll shoot the first man that touches you." The poor emaciated boy
hesitated a moment or two; then, quietly laying his head down upon the
gunnel of the boat, he said, "_I like it as well as any other."_ He was
soon despatched, and nothing of him left. I think, then, another man
died of himself, and him, too, we ate. But I can tell you no more--my
head is on fire at the recollection; I hardly know what I say. I forgot
to say that we had parted company with the second boat before now. After
some more days of horror and despair, when some were lying down at the
bottom of the boat not able to rise, and scarcely one of us could move a
limb, a vessel hove in sight. We were taken on board, and treated with
extreme kindness. The second last boat was also picked up at sea, and
the survivors saved. A ship afterwards sailed in search of our
companions on the desolate island, and brought them away.'
Captain Pollard closed his dreary narrative with saying, in a tone of
despondency never to be forgotten by him who heard it, 'After a time I
found my way to the United States, to which I belonged, and got another
ship. That, too, I have lost by a second wreck off the Sandwich Islands,
and now I am utterly ruined. No owner will ever trust me with a whaler
again, for all will say I am an _unlucky_ man.'
The following account respecting the three men that were left on the
uninhabited island, is given in a note of the same work, and said to be
extracted from a religious tract, No. 579, issued by the Society in
Paternoster Row.
'On the 26th of December the boats left the island: this was, indeed, a
trying moment to all: they separated with mutual prayers and good
wishes, seventeen[45] venturing to sea with almost certain death before
them, while three remained on a rocky isle, destitute of water, and
affording hardly anything to support life. The prospects of these three
poor men were gloomy: they again tried to dig a well, but without
success, and all hope seemed at an end, when providentially they were
relieved by a shower of rain. They were thus delivered from the
immediate apprehension of perishing by thirst. Their next care was to
procure food, and their difficulties herein were also very great; their
principal resource was small birds, about the size of a blackbird, which
they caught while at roost. Every night they climbed the trees in search
of them, and obtained, by severe exertions, a scanty supply, hardly
enough to support life. Some of the trees bore a small berry which gave
them a little relief, but these they found only in small quantities.
Shell-fish they searched for in vain; and although from the rocks they
saw at times a number of sharks, and also other sorts of fish, they were
unable to catch any, as they had no fishing tackle. Once they saw
several turtles, and succeeded in taking five, but they were then
without water: at those times they had little inclination to eat, and
before one of them was quite finished the others were become unfit for
food.
'Their sufferings from want of water were the most severe, their only
supply being from what remained in holes among the rocks after the
showers which fell at intervals; and sometimes they were five or six
days without any; on these occasions they were compelled to suck the
blood of the birds they caught, which allayed their thirst in some
degree; but they did so very unwillingly, as they found themselves much
disordered thereby.
'Among the rocks were several caves formed by nature, which afforded
shelter from the wind and rain. In one of these caves they found eight
human skeletons, in all probability the remains of some poor mariners
who had been shipwrecked on the isle, and perished for want of food and
water. They were side by side, as if they had laid down and died
together! This sight deeply affected the mate and his companions; their
case was similar, and they had every reason to expect ere long the same
end: for many times they lay down at night, with their tongues swollen
and their lips parched with thirst, scarcely hoping to see the morning
sun; and it is impossible to form an idea of their feelings when the
morning dawned, and they found their prayers had been heard and answered
by a providential supply of rain.
'In this state they continued till the 5th of April following. On the
morning of that day they were in the woods as usual, searching for food
and water, as well as their weakness permitted, when their attention was
aroused by a sound which they thought was distant thunder; but looking
towards the sea, they saw a ship in the offing, which had just fired a
gun. Their joy at this sight may be more easily imagined than described;
they immediately fell on their knees, and thanked God for His goodness,
in thus sending deliverance when least expected; then, hastening to the
shore, they saw a boat coming towards them. As the boat could not
approach the shore without great danger, the mate, being a good swimmer,
and stronger than his companions, plunged into the sea, and
providentially escaped a watery grave at the moment when deliverance was
at hand. His companions crawled out further on the rocks, and, by the
great exertions of the crew, were taken into the boat, and soon found
themselves on board the _Surrey_, commanded by Captain Raine, by whom
they were treated in the kindest manner, and their health and strength
were speedily restored.'
Mr. Montgomery, the editor, observes, 'there is some incongruity in
these two narratives, which more minute particulars might reconcile.' We
have noticed them. Mr. Bennet received the account verbally, and may be
mistaken in some points, but there is little doubt of its being
substantially correct.
This melancholy history supplies an additional and complete answer to
Bligh's doubts of men feeding on each other to preserve existence.
ENDNOTES:
[1] The discovery of this island is owing to Fernandez de Quiros in
1606, which he named _La Sagittaria_, Some doubts were at first
entertained of its identity with Otaheite, but the small difference of a
few miles in latitude, and about two degrees of longitude, the
description as to size, the low isthmus, the distance from it of any
other island at all similar, and above all, the geographical
position--all prove its identity--although Quiros calls it, what it
certainly is not, a low island.
[2] _A Missionary Voyage to the Southern Pacific Ocean_, Appendix, pp.
336, 342.
[3] Cook appears not to have exercised his usual judgement in estimating
the population of this island. After stating the number of war-canoes at
seventeen hundred and twenty, and able men to man them, at sixty-eight
thousand eight hundred, he comes to the conclusion that the population
must consist of two hundred and four thousand souls; and reflecting on
the vast swarms which everywhere appeared, 'I was convinced,' he says,
'that this estimate was not much, if at all, too great.'
[4] The words within brackets are in the original despatch.
[5] He was born in the Isle of Man, his father being Deemster of Man,
and Seneschal to the Duke of Athol.
[6] _United Service Journal_, April, 1831.
[7] Hayward and Hallet, who may thus be considered as the _passive_
cause of the mutiny.
[8] _Quarterly Review_, No. 89.
[9] One person turns his back on the object that is to be divided;
another then points separately to the portions, at each of them asking
aloud, 'Who shall have this?' to which the first answers by naming
somebody. This impartial method of distribution gives every man an equal
chance of the best share. Bligh used to speak of the great amusement the
poor people had at the beak and claws falling to his share.
[10] If Bligh here meant to deny the fact of men, in extreme cases,
destroying each other for the sake of appeasing hunger, he is greatly
mistaken. The fact was but too well established, and to a great extent,
on the raft of the French frigate _Meduse_, when wrecked on the coast of
Africa, and also on the rock in the Mediterranean, when the _Nautilus_
frigate was lost. There may be a difference between men, in danger of
perishing by famine, when in robust health, and men like those of the
_Bounty_, worn by degrees to skeletons, by protracted famine, who may
thus have become equally indifferent to life or death.
[11] The escape of the _Centaur's_ boat, perhaps, comes nearest to it.
When the _Centaur_ was sinking, Captain Inglefield and eleven others, in
a small leaky boat, five feet broad, with one of the gunwales stove,
nearly in the middle of the Western Ocean, without compass, without
quadrant, without sail, without great-coat or cloak, all very thinly
clothed, in a gale of wind, with a great sea running, and the winter
fast approaching,--the sun and stars, by which alone they could shape
their course, sometimes hidden for twenty-four hours;--these unhappy
men, in this destitute and hopeless condition, had to brave the billows
of the stormy Atlantic, for nearly a thousand miles. A blanket, which
was by accident in the boat, served as a sail, and with this they
scudded before the wind, in expectation of being swallowed up by every
wave; with great difficulty the boat was cleared of water before the
return of the next great sea; all of the people were half drowned, and
sitting, except the balers, at the bottom of the boat. On quitting the
ship the distance of Fayal was two hundred and sixty leagues, or about
nine hundred English miles.
Their provisions were a bag of bread, a small ham, a single piece of
pork, two quart bottles of water, and a few of French cordials. One
biscuit, divided into twelve morsels, was served for breakfast, and the
same for dinner; the neck of a bottle broken off, with the cork in,
supplied the place of a glass; and this filled with water was the
allowance for twenty-four hours for each man.
On the fifteenth day, they had only one day's bread, and one bottle of
water remaining of a second supply of rain; on this day Matthews, a
quarter-master, the stoutest man in the boat, perished of hunger and
cold. This poor man, on the day before, had complained of want of
strength in his throat, as he expressed it, to swallow his morsel; and,
in the night, drank salt-water, grew delirious, and died without a
groan. Hitherto despair and gloom had been successfully prevented, the
men, when the evenings closed in, having been encouraged by turns to
sing a song, or relate a story, instead of a supper: 'but,' says the
Captain, 'this evening I found it impossible to raise either.' The
Captain had directed the clothes to be taken from the corpse of Matthews
and given to some of the men, who were perishing with, cold; but the
shocking skeleton-like appearance of his remains made such an impression
on the people, that all efforts to raise their spirits were ineffectual.
On the following day, the sixteenth, their last breakfast was served
with the bread and water remaining, when John Gregory, the
quarter-master, declared with much confidence that he saw land in the
south-east, which turned out to be Fayal.
But the most extraordinary _feat of navigation_ is that which is related
(on good authority) in a note of the _Quarterly Review_, vol. xviii. pp.
337-339:--
Of all the feats of navigation on record, however, that of Diogo Botelho
Perreira, in the early period of 1536-37, stands pre-eminent; it is
extracted from the voluminous Decades of Diogo de Couto, whose work,
though abounding with much curious matter, like those of most of the old
Portuguese writers, has not been fortunate enough to obtain an English
translation. We are indebted to a friend for pointing it out to us, and
we conceive it will be read with interest.
'In the time of the vice-royalty of Don Francisco de Almeyda
there was a young gentleman in India of the name of Diogo
Botelho Perreira, son of the commander of Cochin, who educated
him with great care, so that he soon became skilled in the art
of navigation, and an adept in the construction of marine
charts. As he grew up, he felt anxious to visit Portugal,
where, on his arrival, he was well received at court, and the
king took pleasure in conversing with him on those subjects
which had been the particular objects of his studies. Confident
of his own talents, and presuming on the favour with which the
king always treated him, he ventured one day to request his
Majesty to appoint him commander of the fortress of Chaul. The
king smiled at his request, and replied, that "_the command of
the fortress was not for pilots_." Botelho was piqued at this
answer, and, on returning into the ante-chamber, was met by Don
Antonio Noronha, second son of the Marquis of Villa Real, who
asked him if his suit had been granted: he answered, "Sir, I
will apply where my suit will not be neglected." When this
answer came to the ears of the king, he immediately ordered
Botelho to be confined in the castle of Lisbon, lest he should
follow the example of Megalhaens, and go over to Spain. There
he remained a prisoner until the admiral viceroy Don Vasco da
Gama, solicited his release, and was permitted to take him to
India; but on the express condition that he should not return
to Portugal, except by special permission. Under these
unpleasant circumstances this gentleman proceeded to India,
anxious for an opportunity of distinguishing himself, that he
might be permitted again to visit Portugal.
'It happened about this time that the Sultan Badur, sovereign
of Cambaya, gave the governor, Nuno da Cunha, permission to
erect a fortress on the island of Diu, an object long and
anxiously wished for, as being of the greatest importance to
the security of the Portuguese possessions in India. Botelho
was aware how acceptable this information would be to the king,
and therefore deemed this a favourable opportunity of regaining
his favour, by conveying such important intelligence; and he
resolved to perform the voyage in a vessel so small, and so
unlike what had ever appeared in Portugal, that it should not
fail to excite astonishment, how any man could undertake so
long and perilous a navigation, in such a frail and diminutive
bottom.
'Without communicating his scheme to any person, he procured a
_fusta_, put a deck on it from head to stern, furnished it with
spare sails and spars, and every other necessary, and
constructed two small tanks for water.
'As soon as the monsoon served, he embarked with some men in
his service, giving out that he was going to Melinde; and, to
give colour to this story, he proceeded to Baticala, where he
purchased some cloths and beads for that market, and laid in
provisions; some native merchants also embarked with a few
articles on board for the Melinde market, to which he did not
choose to object, lest it should alarm his sailors.
'He set sail with the eastern monsoon, in the beginning of
October, and arrived safely at Melinde, where he landed the
native merchants, took in wood, water, and refreshments, and
again put to sea, informing his crew that he was going to
Quiloa. When he had got to a distance from the land, it would
appear that some of his crew had mutinied; but this he had
foreseen and provided for; putting some of them in irons, and
promising at the same time amply to reward the services of the
rest, and giving them to understand that he was going to Sofala
on account of the trade in gold. Thus he proceeded, touching at
various places for refreshments, which he met with in great
plenty and very cheap.
'From Sofala he proceeded along the coast till he had passed
the Cabo dos Correntes, and from thence along the shore,
without ever venturing to a distance from the land, and
touching at the different rivers, until he passed the Cape of
Good Hope, which he did in January 1537.
'From thence he stretched into the ocean with gentle breezes,
steering for St. Helena; where, on arriving, he drew his little
vessel ashore, to clean her bottom and repair her, and also to
give a few days' rest to his crew, of whom some had perished of
cold, notwithstanding his having provided warm clothing for
them.
'Departing from St. Helena, he boldly steered his little bark
across the wide ocean, directing his career to St. Thomé, where
he took in provisions, wood, and water; and from thence he
proceeded to the bar of Lisbon, where he arrived in May, when
the king was at Almeyrin. He entered the river with his oars,
his little vessel being dressed with flags and pendants, and
anchored at Point Leira opposite to Salvaterra, not being able
to get farther up the river. This novelty produced such a
sensation in Lisbon that the Tagus was covered with boats to
see the _fusta_ Diogo Botelho Perreira landed in a boat, and
proceeded to Almeyrin, to give the king an account of his
voyage, and solicit a gratification for the good news which he
brought, of his Majesty now being possessed of a fortress on
the island of Diu.
'The king was highly pleased with this intelligence, but, as
Botelho brought no letters from the governor, he did not give
him the kind of reception which he had expected. On the
contrary, the king treated him with coldness and distance; his
Majesty, however, embarked to see the _fusta_, on board of
which he examined every thing with much attention, and was
gratified in viewing a vessel of such a peculiar form, and
ordered money and clothes to be given to the sailors--nor could
he help considering Diogo Botelho as a man of extraordinary
enterprise and courage, on whose firmness implicit reliance
might be placed.
'The little vessel was ordered to be drawn ashore at Sacabem,
where it remained many years (until it fell to pieces), and was
visited by people from all parts of Europe, who beheld it with
astonishment. The king subsequently received letters from the
governor of Nuno da Cunha, confirming the news brought by
Botelho; the bearer of these letters, a Jew, was immediately
rewarded with a pension of a hundred and forty milreas; but
Botelho was neglected for many years, and at last appointed
commander of St. Thomé, and finally made captain of Cananor in
India, that he might be at a distance from Portugal.'
The vessel named _fusta_ is a long, shallow, Indian-built row-boat,
which uses latine sails in fine weather. These boats are usually open,
but Botelho covered his with a deck: its dimensions, according to
Lavanha, in his edition of De Barros' unfinished Decade, are as
follows:--length, twenty-two palmos, or sixteen feet six inches.
Breadth, twelve palmos, or nine feet. Depth, six palmos, or four feet
six inches. Bligh's boat was twenty-three feet long, six feet nine
inches broad, and two feet nine inches deep. From the circumstance
mentioned of some of his crew having perished with cold, it is probable
that they were natives of India, whom the Portuguese were in the habit
of bringing home as part of their crew.
[12] Previous to the writing of this letter, the following copy of
verses shows how anxiously this young lady's mind was engaged on the
unhappy circumstances under which her brother was placed.
On the tedious and mournful Absence of a most beloved BROTHER, who was
in the _Bounty_ with Captain BLIGH at the Time of the FATAL MUTINY,
which happened April 28th, 1789, in the South Seas, and who, instead of
returning with the Boat when she left the Ship, stayed behind.
Tell me, thou busy flatt'ring Telltale, why--
Why flow these tears--why heaves this deep-felt sigh,--
Why is all joy from my sad bosom flown,
Why lost that cheerfulness I thought my own;
Why seek I now in solitude for ease.
Which once was centred in a wish to please,
When ev'ry hour in joy and gladness past,
And each new day shone brighter than the last;
When in society I loved to join;
When to enjoy, and give delight, was mine?--
Now--sad reverse! in sorrow wakes each day,
And griefs sad tones inspire each plaintive lay:
Alas! too plain these mournful tears can tell
The pangs of woe my lab'ring bosom swell!
Thou best of brothers--friend, companion, guide,
Joy of my youth, my honour, and my pride!
Lost is all peace--all happiness to me,
And fled all comfort, since deprived of thee.
In vain, my Lycidas, thy loss I mourn,
In vain indulge a hope of thy return;
Still years roll on and still I vainly sigh,
Still tears of anguish drown each gushing eye.
Ah I cruel Time I how slow thy ling'ring pace,
Which keeps me from his tender, loved embrace.
At home to see him, or to know him near,
How much I wish--and yet how much I fear!
Oh I fatal voyage! which robb'd my soul of peace
And wreck'd my happiness in stormy seas!
Why, my loved Lycidas, why did'st thou stay,
Why waste thy life from friendship far away?
Though guiltless thou of mutiny or blame,
And free from aught which could disgrace thy name;
Though thy pure soul, in honour's footsteps train'd,
Was never yet by disobedience stain'd;
Yet is thy fame exposed to slander's wound,
And fell suspicion whispering around.
In vain--to those who knew thy worth and truth,
Who watch'd each op'ning virtue of thy youth;
When noblest principles inform'd thy mind,
Where sense and sensibility were join'd;
Love to inspire, to charm, to win each heart,
And ev'ry tender sentiment impart;
Thy outward form adorn'd with ev'ry grace;
With beauty's softest charms thy heav'nly face,
Where sweet expression beaming ever proved
The index of that soul, by all beloved;
Thy wit so keen, thy genius form'd to soar,
By fancy wing'd, new science to explore;
Thy temper, ever gentle, good, and kind,
Where all but guilt an advocate could find:
To those who know this character was thine,
(And in this truth assenting numbers join)
How vain th' attempt to fix a crime on thee,
Which thou disdain'st--from which each thought is free!
No, my loved brother, ne'er will I believe
Thy seeming worth was meant but to deceive;
Still will I think (each circumstance though strange)
That thy firm principles could never change;
That hopes of preservation urged thy stay,
Or force, which those resistless must obey.
If this is error, let me still remain
In error wrapp'd--nor wake to truth again!
Come then, sweet Hope, with all thy train of joy
Nor let Despair each rapt'rous thought destroy;
Indulgent Heav'n, in pity to our tears,
At length will bless a parent's sinking years;
Again shall I behold thy lovely face,
By manhood form'd, and ripen'd ev'ry grace,
Again I'll press thee to my anxious breast,
And ev'ry sorrow shall be hush'd to rest.
Thy presence only can each comfort give.
Come then, my Lycidas, and let me live;
Life without thee is but a wretched load,
Thy love alone can smooth its thorny road;
But blest with thee, how light were every woe;
How would my soul with joy and rapture glow!
Kind Heav'n! thou hast my happiness in store,
Restore him _innocent_--I ask no more!
_Isle of Man, Feb. 25,_ 1792. NESSY HEYWOOD.
[13] This interesting letter is given in the following Chapter, to which
it appropriately belongs.
[14] His orders run thus: 'You are to keep the mutineers as closely
confined as may preclude all possibility of their escaping, having,
however, proper regard to the preservation of their lives, that they may
be brought home, to undergo the punishment due to their demerits.'
[15] _Voyage round the World_, by Mr. George Hamilton, p. 84.
[16] _A Missionary Voyage to the Southern Pacific_, p. 360.
[17] _United Service Journal_.
[18] The Phoceans, on account of the sterility of their country, were in
the habit of practising piracy, which, according to Justin, was held to
be an honourable profession.
[19] These laws are contained in an ancient authentic book, called 'The
Black Book of the Admiralty,' in which all things therein comprehended
are engrossed on vellum, in an ancient character; which hath been from
time to time kept in the registry of the High Court of Admiralty, for
the use of the Judges. When Mr. Luders made enquiry at the office in
Doctors' Commons, in 1808, he was informed by the proper officers there,
that they had never seen such book, and knew nothing of it, nor where to
find it. The fact is, the book in question was put into Lord Thurlow's
hands when Attorney-General, and never returned. There is a copy of it
in the Admiralty.
[20] Morrison mentions, in his _Journal_, a plan to this effect,
contrived by Heywood, Stewart, and himself, but observes, 'it was a
foolish attempt, as, had we met with bad weather, our crazy boat would
certainly have made us a coffin.'
[21] The following shows how much her fond mind was fixed on her
unfortunate brother:--
_On the Arrival of my dearly-beloved Brother, Peter Heywood, in England,
written while a Prisoner, and waiting the Event of his Trial on board
his Majesty's Ship 'Hector.'_
Come, gentle Muse, I woo thee once again,
Nor woo thee now in melancholy strain;
Assist my verse in cheerful mood to flow,
Nor let this tender bosom Anguish know;
Fill all my soul with notes of Love and Joy,
No more let Grief each anxious thought employ:
With Rapture now alone this heart shall burn,
And Joy, my Lycidas, for thy return!
Return'd with every charm, accomplish'd youth,
Adorn'd with Virtue, Innocence, and Truth;
Wrapp'd in thy conscious merit still remain,
Till I behold thy lovely form again.
Protect him, Heav'n, from dangers and alarms,
And oh! restore him to a sister's arms;
Support his fortitude in that dread hour
When he must brave Suspicion's cruel pow'r;
Grant him to plead with Eloquence divine,
In ev'ry word let Truth and Honour shine;
Through each sweet accent let Persuasion flow,
With manly Firmness let his bosom glow,
Till strong Conviction, in each face exprest,
Grants a reward by Honour's self confest.
Let thy Omnipotence preserve him still,
And all his future days with Pleasure fill;
And oh! kind Heav'n, though now in chains he be,
Restore him soon to Friendship, Love, and me.
_August 5th, 1792, Isle of Man_. NESSY HEYWOOD.
[22] The late Aaron Graham, Esq., the highly respected police magistrate
in London.
[23] Till the moment of the trial, it will readily be supposed that
every thought of this amiable young lady was absorbed in her brother's
fate. In this interval the following lines appear to have been
written:--
_On receiving information by a letter from my ever dearly loved brother
Peter Heywood, that his trial was soon to take place_.
_Isle of Man, August_ 22, 1792. NESSY HEYWOOD.
[24] The minutes being very long, a brief abstract only, containing the
principal points of evidence, is here given.
[25] This Journal, it is presumed, must have been lost when the
_Pandora_ was wrecked.
[26] It was in this state of mind, while in momentary expectation of
receiving an account of the termination of the court-martial, that
Heywood's charming sister Nessy wrote the following lines:--
ANXIETY.
Doubting, dreading, fretful guest,
Quit, oh I quit this mortal breast.
Why wilt thou my peace invade,
And each brighter prospect shade?
Pain me not with needless Fear,
But let Hope my bosom cheer;
While I court her gentle charms,
Woo the flatterer to my arms;
While each moment she beguiles
With her sweet enliv'ning smiles,
While she softly whispers me,
'Lycidas again is free,'
While I gaze on Pleasure's gleam,
Say not thou 'Tis all a dream.'
Hence--nor darken Joy's soft bloom
With thy pale and sickly gloom:
Nought have I to do with thee--
Hence--begone--Anxiety.
_Isle of Man, September 10th._ NESSY HEYWOOD.
[27] This is supposed to allude to the evidence given by Hallet.
[28] This refers to a very kind and encouraging letter written to him by
the Rev. Dr. Scott, of the Isle of Man, who knew him from a boy, and had
the highest opinion of his character.
[29] Captain Bligh states in his journal, that none of his officers were
suffered to come near him while held a prisoner by Christian; and Hallet
was, no doubt, mistaken, but he had probably said it in the boat, and
thought it right to be consistent on the trial.
It has been said that Hallet, when in the _Penelope_, in which frigate
he died, expressed great regret at the evidence he had given at the
court-martial, and frequently alluded to it, admitting that he might
have been mistaken. There can be very little doubt that he was so. But
the Editor has ascertained, from personal inquiry of one of the most
distinguished flag-officers in the service, who was then first
lieutenant of the _Penelope_, that Hallet frequently expressed to him
his deep contrition for having given in evidence what, on subsequent
reflection, he was convinced to be incorrect; that he ascribed it to the
state of confusion in which his mind was when under examination before
the Court; and that he had since satisfied himself that, owing to the
general alarm and confusion during the mutiny, he must have confounded
Heywood with some other person.
[30] Vol. ii. p. 778.
[31] Some few captains were in the habit of turning over a delinquent to
be tried by their messmates, and when found guilty, it invariably
happened that the punishment inflicted was doubly severe to what it
would have been in the ordinary way. This practice,--which, as giving a
deliberative voice to the ship's company, was highly reprehensible,--it
is to be hoped has entirely ceased.
[32] Information that the pardon was gone down to Portsmouth.
[33] She had received, previous to this, information of what the event
would be, and thus gives vent to her feelings.
_On receiving certain Intelligence that my most amiable and beloved
Brother, Peter Heywood, would soon be restored to Freedom_.
Oh, blissful hour!--oh moment of delight!
Replete with happiness, with rapture bright!
An age of pain is sure repaid by this,
'Tis joy too great--'tis ecstasy of bliss!
Ye sweet sensations crowding on my soul,
Which following each other swiftly roll,--
Ye dear ideas which unceasing press,
And pain this bosom by your wild excess,
Ah! kindly cease--for pity's sake subside,
Nor thus o'erwhelm me with joy's rapid tide:
My beating heart, oppress'd with woe and care,
Has yet to learn such happiness to bear:
From grief, distracting grief, thus high to soar,
To know dull pain and misery no more,
To hail each op'ning morn with new delight,
To rest in peace and joy each happy night,
To see my Lycidas from bondage free,
Restored to life, to pleasure, and to me,
To see him thus--adorn'd with virtue's charms,
To give him to a longing mother's arms,
To know him by surrounding friends caress'd,
Of honour, fame, of life's best gifts possess'd,
Oh, my full heart! 'tis joy--'tis bliss supreme,
And though 'tis real--yet, how like a dream!
Teach me then, Heav'n, to bear it as I ought,
Inspire each rapt'rous, each transporting thought;
Teach me to bend beneath Thy bounteous hand,
With gratitude my willing heart expand:
To Thy omnipotence I humbly bow,
Afflicted once--but ah! how happy now!
Restored in peace, submissive to Thy will,
Oh! bless his days to come--protect him still;
Prolong his life, Thy goodness to adore,
And oh! let sorrow's shafts ne'er wound him more.
NESSY HEYWOOD. _London, October 15th, 1792, Midnight_.
[34] Mr. Graham's daughter.
[35] Several elegiac stanzas were written on the death of this
accomplished young lady. The following are dated from her native place,
the Isle of Man, where her virtues and accomplishments could best be
appreciated.
How soon, sweet maid! how like a fleeting dream
The winning graces, all thy virtues seem!
How soon arrested in thy early bloom
Has fate decreed thee to the joyless tomb!
Nor beauty, genius, nor the Muse's care,
Nor aught could move the tyrant Death to spare:
Ah! could their power revoke the stern decree,
The fatal shaft had past, unfelt by thee!
But vain thy wit, thy sentiment refined,
Thy charms external, and accomplish'd mind;
Thy artless smiles, that seized the willing heart,
Thy converse, that could pure delight impart;
The melting music of thy skilful tongue,
While judgement listen'd, ravish'd with thy song:
Not all the gifts that art and nature gave,
Could save thee, lovely Nessy! from the grave.
Too early lost! from friendship's bosom torn,
Oh might I tune _thy_ lyre, and sweetly mourn
In strains like thine, when beauteous Margaret's[A] fate
Oppress'd thy friendly heart with sorrow's weight;
Then should my numbers flow, and laurels bloom
In endless spring around fair Nessy's tomb.
[A] Alluding to some elegant lines, by the deceased, on the death of a
female friend.
[36] The following appears to have been written by Mr. P. Heywood on the
day that the sentence of condemnation was passed on him.
----Silence then
The whispers of complaint,--low in the dust
Dissatisfaction's dæmon's growl unheard.
All--all is good, all excellent below;
Pain is a blessing--sorrow leads to joy--
Joy, permanent and solid! ev'ry ill,
Grim death itself, in all its horrors clad,
Is man's supremest privilege! it frees
The soul from prison, from foul sin, from woe,
And gives it back to glory, rest, and God!
Cheerly, my friends,--oh, cheerly! look not thus
With Pity's melting softness!--that alone
Can shake my fortitude---all is not lost.
Lo! I have gain'd on this important day
A victory consummate o'er myself,
And o'er this life a victory,--on this day.
My birthday to eternity, I've gain'd
Dismission from a world, where for a while,
Like you, like all, a pilgrim, passing poor,
A traveller, a stranger, I have met
Still stranger treatment, rude and harsh! I so much
The dearer, more desired, the home I seek,
Eternal of my Father, and my God!
Then pious Resignation, meek-ey'd pow'r,
Sustain me still! Composure still be mine.
Where rests it? Oh, mysterious Providence
I Silence the wild idea.--I have found
No mercy yet--no mild humanity,
With cruel, unrelenting rigour torn,
And lost in prison--lost to all below!
And the following appears to have been written on the day of the king's
pardon being received.
--Oh deem it not
Presumptuous, that my soul grateful thus rates
The present high deliv'rance it hath found;--
Sole effort of Thy wisdom, sov'reign Pow'r,
Without whose knowledge, not a sparrow fells!
Oh I may I cease to live, ere cease to bless
That interposing hand, which turn'd aside--
Nay, to my life and preservation turn'd,--
The fatal blow precipitate, ordain'd
To level all my little hopes in dust,
And give me--to the grave.
[37] With which the Editor, at his request, was favoured at the time.
[38] The only authority that then existed for laying down this island
was that of Captain Carteret, who first saw it in 1767. 'It is so high,'
he says, 'that we saw it at the distance of more than fifteen leagues,
and it having been discovered by a young gentleman, son to Major
Pitcairn of the marines, who was unfortunately lost in the _Aurora_, we
called it _Pitcairn's Island_.' He makes it in lat. 25° 2' S. and long.
133° 30' W., no less than _three degrees_ out of its true longitude!
_Three minutes_ would _now_ be thought a considerable error:--such are
the superior advantages conferred by lunar observations and improvements
in chronometers.
Pitcairn's Island has been supposed to be the '_Encarnaçion_' of Quiros,
by whom it is stated to be in lat. 24° 30', and one thousand leagues
from the coast of Peru; but as he describes it as 'a low, sandy island,
almost level with the sea, having a few trees on it,' we must look for
'_Encarnaçion_' somewhere else; and _Ducies_ Island, nearly in that
latitude, very low, and within 5° of longitude from Pitcairn's Island,
answers precisely to it.
[39] As the manner of Christian's death has been differently reported to
each different visitor, by Adams, the only evidence in existence, with
the exception of three or four Otaheitan women, and a few infants, some
singular circumstances may here be mentioned that happened at home, just
at the time of Folder's visit, and which might render his death on
Pitcairn's Island almost a matter of doubt.
About the years 1808 and 1809, a very general opinion was prevalent in
the neighbourhood of the lakes of Cumberland and Westmoreland, that
Christian was in that part of the country, and made frequent private
visits to an aunt who was living there. Being the near relative of Mr.
Christian Curwen, long member of Parliament for Carlisle, and himself a
native, he was well known in the neighbourhood. This, however, might be
passed over as mere gossip, had not another circumstance happened just
about the same time, for the truth of which the Editor does not hesitate
to avouch.
In Fore Street, Plymouth Dock, Captain Heywood found himself one day
walking behind a man, whose shape had so much the appearance of
Christian's, that he involuntarily quickened his pace. Both were walking
very fast, and the rapid steps behind him having roused the stranger's
attention, he suddenly turned his face, looked at Heywood, and
immediately ran off. But the face was as much like Christian's as the
back, and Heywood, exceedingly excited, ran also. Both ran as fast as
they were able, but the stranger had the advantage, and, after making
several short turns, disappeared.
That Christian should be in England, Heywood considered as highly
improbable, though not out of the scope of possibility; for at this time
no account of him whatsoever had been received since they parted at
Otaheite; at any rate the resemblance, the agitation, and the efforts of
the stranger to elude him, were circumstances too strong not to make a
deep impression on his mind. At the moment, his first thought was to set
about making some further inquiries, but on recollection of the pain and
trouble such a discovery must occasion him, he considered it more
prudent to let the matter drop; but the circumstance was frequently
called to his memory for the remainder of his life.
[40] This Nobbs is probably one of those half-witted persons who fancy
they have received a _call_ to preach nonsense--some cobbler escaped
from his stall, or tailor from his shopboard. Kitty Quintal's cant
phrase--'we want food for our souls,' and praying at meals for
'spiritual nourishment,' smack not a little of the jargon of the
inferior caste of evangelicals. Whoever this pastoral drone may be, it
is but too evident that the preservation of the innocence, simplicity,
and happiness of these amiable people, is intimately connected with his
speedy removal from the island.
[41] Well may Adams have sought for rules for his little society in a
book, which contains the foundation of the civil and religious policy of
two-thirds of the human race,--in that wonderful book, into whose
inspired pages the afflicted never seek for consolation in vain.
Millions of examples attest this truth. 'There is no incident in
_Robinson Crusoe_,' observes a writer in a critical journal, 'told in
language more natural and affecting, than Robert Knox's accidental
discovery of a Bible, in the midst of the Candian dominions of Ceylon.
His previous despondency from the death of his father, his only friend
and companion, whose grave he had but just dug with his own hands,
"being now," as he says, "left desolate, sick, and in captivity,"--his
agitation, joy, and even terror, on meeting with a book he had for such
a length of time not seen, nor hoped to see--his anxiety lest he should
fail to procure it--and the comfort, when procured, which it afforded
him in his affliction--all are told in Buch a strain of true piety and
genuine simplicity as cannot fail to interest and affect every reader of
sensibility.'
[42] If there were _three_ instruments and _three_ boats, there must
have been _one_ for _each_, for the quadrant was just as good as a
sextant.--ED.
[43] The mistake is here again repeated; it would be absurd to suppose
that one boat had both quadrant and sextant.
[44] It is not explained with what kind of fuel they performed this
distressing operation.
[45] Here, again, is another mistake; the number must have been _eleven_
at most, one of the boats having parted before the others reached the
island.--ED.