THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS.

Evening Star, Issue 4257, 18 October 1876, Page 4

THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS.

A newspaper containing the following: interesting account TJfTt visit to the desoen-, .dants of the mutineers of the Bounty, has' been handed to us by Miss Brownlie, who! Vas a passenger by the Pomona on heir last 1 Tbyige : t6'"NW Zealand ; j Having pas -ed the meridian of the easterniririlf of: fie lew islarids, .which Iri a'Vary extensive group ofj coral formation, we gradually more northerly* and shaped our course for-Pitottlrnt Island, intend-) im? if in the day time to sight itaadso verify ohro-, nometer. This we accomplished oiHhe morning ofJune 30th, sighting it at about thirty-five miles dis- 1 tauce; came up with it about dndt, soon after which perceived two lights On the island, one low down and the other high. This onr captain interpreted 1 to bo a signal pf distress, and decided to communicate with the shsre as soon ha pi acticable. There' being no anchorage)and a current seating in towards the island, we being to the westward and co»se*| quently to leeward, the S EVtrades blowing strongly,: we cruised about,' gradually approaching the shore,’ till morning. We then got within a mile of thp shore, when a I oat oame out towards ns manned by six men and co umanded 'by Mr Bussell 1 Mao Coy, who came on board. In conversation with Mac Coy wo learnt that he' and his men and others left on the island number’ I eighty-five, including women and children, and were permanently settled there; that they were descendants of the mutineers of the Rounty, and were a.ll more or less related to each other, and to old Adams, their patriarch. They w.pre fine looking men, of rather dark complexion, and rpoka Engish remarkably well. They had hefcn out the evening brfore endeavoring, but unsnocessfnlly, to communicate with a-ship which passed' before us, and the lights we saw wera.signals for them to return. A wreck had occnttM a few days before ofashiri named the on a low. coral i land ca lea Odi), about seventy miles to'the hhrthrinf them, and they had visited it. Wo saw very distinctly soma of the iuhabitah.ts*Mi tlm shorejWth their huts and plantations. The island is very hilly, rising to over ; 1/<K) feet on the wqqt, and ,w II yvooded to tie top] lauding,place is Bourty bay, !pn ! t) e AdAm-down 1a f 'h, TttA t? tha- waat.of aK; t) •t. 25(Jefc'snnth *ij«l 1. mg. 13‘dvg .'s»rs f . TbetifjuM [is fchout two.aud(»-hal£ iUilesdof.g.frO’m.egs, to wvwi and one mile broad—visiibl.' fifiy hues p#. Thfe ihhtinectaof lf ll;■ ft&Ht; set Q Bllg'/ana thl rest'ftf the crew *d»ift, April 20,’ 17S9ii-!Tkey went to Otnh«3ite, OhrastiW*tw kohw had lauded, cut the cable and went to sea,cj§A After a time reached Pitcairn Island, where they settled The population increased beyopd the resources of the 'island N'>rf6lk, Island wks’offerebthem arid they were-remixed fthore in IBsßi;inutf»bering uihe'y males and 102 females. Seven years later a.sm«jl portion of them returned to Pitoaim Island and formed the pre eht community, who live principally on yams pad potatoes. Taey harvest tw oe a year; also grow maize, bread' ‘ruits, pines, m lons, oranges, sugar ome. hiid the vi or Brazilian palm; sou rich, chiefly of decomposed land; climate warm, thermometer from f » to 88 in the shade.