the first settlers, but referred them for further par ticulars to an old man on shore, whose name, they said, was John Adams, the only surviving Englishman that came away in the Bounty, at which time he was called Alexander Smith.

This information induced the two captains to go on shore, desirous of learning correctly from this old man the fate, not only of Christian, but of the rest of his deluded accomplices, who had adhered to his fortunes. The landing they found to be difficult, and not wholly free from danger; but, with the assistance of their two able conductors, they passed the surf among many rocks, and reached the shore without any other inconvenience than a complete wetting. Old Adams, having ascertained that the two officers alone had landed, and without arms, concluded they had no intention to take him prisoner, and ventured to come down to the beach, from whence he conducted them to his house. He was accompanied by his wife, a very old woman, and nearly blind. It seems they were both at first considerably alarmed; the sight of the king's uniform, after so many years, having no doubt brought fresh to the recollection of Adams the scene that occurred in the Bounty, in which he bore so conspicuous a part. Sir Thomas Staines, however, to set his mind at ease, assured him, that so far from having come to the island with any intention to take him away, they were not even aware that such a person as himself existed. Captain Pipon observes," that although in the eye of the law they could only con sider him in the light of a criminal of the deepest die, yet that it would have been an act of the greatest cruelty and inhumanity to have taken him away from his little family, who in such a case would have been left to experience the greatest misery and distress, and ultimately, in all probability, would have perished of want.

Adams, however, pretended that he had no great

share in the mutiny: said that he was sick in bed when it broke out, and was afterwards compelled to take a musket in his hand; and expressed his readiness to go in one of the ships to England, and seemed rather desirous to do so. On this being made known to the members of the little society, a scene of considerable distress was witnessed; his daughter, a fine young woman, threw her arms about his neck, entreating him not to think of leaving them and all his little children to perish. All the women burst into tears, and the young men stood motionless and absorbed in grief; but on their being assured that he should, on no account, be molested, "It is impossible," says Captain Pipon, "to describe the universal joy that these poor people manifested, and the gratitude they expressed for the kindness and consideration shown him."

They now learned from Adams, that Fletcher Christian, on finding no good anchorage close to the island, and the Bounty being too weakly manned again to intrust themselves in her at sea, determined to run her into a small creek against the cliff, in order the more conveniently to get out of her such articles as might be of use or necessary for forming an establishment on the island, and to land the hogs, goats, and poultry which they had brought from Otaheite; and having accomplished this point, he ordered her to be set on fire, with the view, probably, of preventing any escape from the island, and also to remove an object, that, if seen, might excite the curiosity of some passing vessel, and thus be the means of discovering his retreat. His plan succeeded, and, by Adams's account, everything went on smoothly for a short time; but it was clear enough that this misguided and ill-fated young man was never happy after the rash and criminal step he had taken; that he was always sullen and morose, and committed so many acts of wanton oppression as very soon incurred the hatred and detestation of

U

his companions in crime, over whom he practised that same overbearing conduct of which he accused his commander Bligh. The object he had in view when he last left Otaheite had now been accomplished; he had discovered an uninhabited island out of the common track of ships, and established himself and his associates; so far there was a chance that he had escaped all pursuit; but there was no escaping from

"Those rods of scorpions and those whips of steel

Which conscience shakes."

The fate of this misguided young man, brought on by his ill treatment both of his associates and the Indians he had carried off with him, was such as might be expected-he was shot by an Otaheitan while digging in his field, about eleven months after they had settled on the island, and his death was only the commencement of feuds and assassinations, which ended in the total destruction of the whole party except Adams and Young. By the account of the former, the settlers from this time became divided into two parties, and their grievances and quarrels proceeded to such a height, that each took every opportunity of putting the other to death. Old John Adams was himself shot through the neck, but the ball having entered the fleshy part only, he was enabled to make his escape and avoid the fury of his assailants. The immediate cause of Chris tian's murder was his having forcibly seized on the wife of one of the Otaheite men, which so exasperated the rest that they not only sought the life of the offender, but of others also who might, as they thought, be disposed to pursue the same course.

This interesting little colony was now found to contain about forty-six persons, mostly grown-up young people, with a few infants. The young men, all born on the island, were finely formed, athletic, and handsome--their countenances open and pleas.

ing, indicating much benevolence and goodness of heart; but the young women particularly were objects of attraction, being tall, robust, and beauti fully formed, their faces beaming with smiles and indicating unruffled good-humour; while their man. ners and demeanour exhibited a degree of modesty and bashfulness that would have done honour to the most virtuous and enlightened people on earth. Their teeth are described as beautifully white, like the finest ivory, and perfectly regular, without a single exception; and all of them, both male and female, had the marked expression of English features, though not exactly the clear red and white that distinguish English skins, theirs being the colour of what we call brunette. Captain Pipon thinks that from such a race of people, consisting of fine young men and handsome well-formed women, there may be expected to arise hereafter, in this little colony, a race of people possessing in a high degree the physical qualifications of great strength, united with symmetry of form and regularity of feature.

But their personal qualifications, attractive as they were, excited less admiration than the account which Adams gave of their virtuous conduct. He assured his visiters that not one instance of debauchery or immoral conduct had occurred among these young people since their settlement on the island; nor did he ever hear or believe that any one instance had occurred of a young woman having suffered indecent liberties to be taken with her. Their native modesty, assisted by the precepts of religion and morality instilled into their young minds by John Adams, had hitherto preserved these interesting people from every kind of debauchery. The young women told Captain Pipon, with great simplicity, that they were not married, and that their father, as they called Adams, had told them it was right they should wait with patience till they had acquired sufficient

property to bring up a young family before they thought of marrying; and that they always followed his advice, because they knew it to be good.

It appeared that from the time when Adams was left alone on the island, the sole survivor of all the males that had landed from the Bounty, European and Otaheitan, the greatest harmony had prevailed in their little society; they all declared that no serious quarrels ever occurred among them, though a few hasty words might now and then be uttered; but, to make use of their own expression, they were only quarrels of the mouth. Adams assured his visiters that they were all strictly honest in all their dealings, lending or exchanging their various articles of livestock or produce with each other in the most friendly manner; and if any little dispute occurred, he never found any difficulty to rectify the mistake or misunderstanding that might have caused it, to the satisfaction of both parties. In their general intercourse they speak the English language com. monly; and even the old Otaheitan women have picked up a good deal of this language. The young people, both male and female, speak it with a pleasing accent, and their voices are extremely harmonious.

The

The little village of Pitcairn is described as forming a pretty square; the house of John Adams, with its out-houses, occupying the upper corner, near a large banyan-tree, and that of Thursday October Christian the lower corner opposite to it. centre space is a fine open lawn, where the poultry wander, and is fenced around so as to prevent the intrusion of the hogs and goats. It was obviously visible, from the manner in which the grounds were laid out and the plantations formed, that in this little establishment the labour and ingenuity of European hands had been employed. In their houses they have a good deal of decent furniture, consisting of beds and bedsteads with coverings. They have