TWO MEN FROM PITCAIRN

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1923, Page 1

TWO MEN FROM PITCAIRN

F A AIO US Ai U TIN E E R'S DEFENDANT LONDON. Aug. 21. On the deck of a liner moored in a London dock are two men who left Pitcairn, the little island, one and a halt miles long and a mile broad in the middle of the Pacific, where they were born and lived all their lives, (o see SOUK* thing of England >n that their 120 fellow inhabitants shall have first-hand information of the country io which they owe allegiance. The explorers are Elliott ( iirisiian and Shelly Warren. Christian, who stands well over six loot, is a greaf-great-grandsen of Fletcher Christian, the leader of the mutineers of IT.AI.S. Bounty, who in A m il, I 759, seized that vessel, set the captain adrift on a raft and then will) some Polynesian women descended on the uninhabited island and formed a little colony. With tin- exception of two young men who left during the war and of a woman who went to Amciha as a nurse some years ago. Uhri-Uan and Warren an- stall'd io be the first of iho islanders to leave their home. The opportunity fur them to do so occurred when the captain of the liner in which they have arrived offered (hem a trip to New Zealand and hack. They eagerly accepted and were so enchanted by this voyage of 90,000 miles that tl ey asked for permission to sign on as seamen so that they might see tho city cl their dreams—London. ■ And here they are.

They arrived only on Sunday and when seen yesterday by a Daily Alai, reporter they were too excited by the magnitude of their adventure and dazed by the possibilities of their trip to have any very coherent ideas on the matter.

Despite the fact that they arc fathers of families, the men are like two big children. They see pleasure in every

tiling—own in work. 1 * Tlioy rut* always smiling and arr so eirnsivo in their respect that i had to make a liahii of walking oil the other side of ihe dec!; when ! saw one of them coming,” said the chief officer. "Yes.” chimed in Warren. "what the officer says we do; lie is our father and our mother on fills voyage—and it is wonderful to he here.” Christian is hoping that he may find or hear of some relatives in England. "I don’t know of any friends or relatives here.” he said. "It would ho nice if ! did.' Moteher C hristian it its descended from the Christians of Milntowu, Isle of Mali.