THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume IV, Issue 5, 30 June 1857, Page 5

THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS.

11. Captain Bligh and his companions found themselves alone on the sea nearly four thousand miles from any European settlement. They were obliged to limit their allowance of bread and water to a very small pittance for each man, and endured all the horrors of hunger, thirst, and exposure to the raging The ocean revealed beneath them the forms of ravenous fishes, ready to seize them/if the storm overset their frail boat; while to add to the»r misery, fair and verdant islands Icy near them,.which they dared not approach, from the savage character of their inhabitants. One thing however cheered them in the nudst of many dangers, —they were free from the burden of crime. Deeply loaded as their boat, was, even nearly down to the water's edge bv those who were crowded into her, they could boldly put forth every exertion*, and their energies were not parMized by the recollection of rebellion and outrage having been perpretatcd by them. For forty-one days they were tossed about on the sea before they reached a friendly shore, having passed safely through almost unparalleled dangers. With a pistol bullet for a weight, and two cocoanut shells for scales, the commandor daily measured out their slender pittance. The'r little craft, at limes, had passed through seas so stormy that its sail was often becalmed in the trough of the mountainous waves that rose on either side. The tale of wrong which Captain Bligh carried home rang through England, and created great sympathy in his favor. The British Government, highly indignant at the outrage committed 011 its authority, despatched the Pandora frigate to seek out Christian and his companions and bring them to justice. She scoured the Pacific ocean, but no trace or tidings of the County could be obtained. A few of the mutineers who had been left at Tahiti were arrested; two, it was found, had been murdered. The frigate, however, was lost on her homeward voyage, three of the mutineers were drowned, and three forfeited their lives when they arrived in England. But where were Christian and his companions ? That was a mystery none could solve. The readers of the former chapter, however, know their retreat, and we will return U). Pitcau'n. Fear and suspicion, now

haunted Christian, and be constructed a strong hold on the the most elevated the island from which he could detect the approach of a vessel. The dread of a visit from a man-of-war was shared by bis English companions also; and startled l>y the* resemblance of the clouds ire the horizon to an approaching sail, they would hurry to their caves and retreats for shelter. Once their apprehension was attended witb reality. A vessel touched at the Island, and, as the mutineers discovered on their departure by the m.uks of a recent fire, bad actually been on shore, but retreated without making any discovery. The mutineers were finally reduced to two in number—one a midshipman of the irame of Young, who died shortly after these events occured, the other a common seaman named John Adams. One day as be turned over his stores he found a bible, a volume to which he had long been a slnmger. In early life when wandering about the streets of London he had taught himself to read by perusing the hand bills pasted upon the walls. And now was seen the value of even that partial knowledge. He opened the scriptures, his soul was weory of the scenes of lawlessness be had witnessed; he had eaten the fruit of his own ways, and bis own wickedness had punished him.