also tables and large chests for their clothing; and their linen is made from the bark of a certain tree, and the manufacture of it is the employment of the elderly portion of the women. The bark is first

soaked, then beaten with square pieces of wood of the breadth of one's hand, hollowed out into grooves, and the labour is continued until it is brought to the breadth required, in the same manner as the process is conducted in Otaheite.

The younger part of the females are obliged to attend, with old Adams and their brothers, to the culture of the land; and Captain Pipon thinks this may be one reason why this old director of the work does not countenance too early marriages, for, as he very properly observed, when once they become mothers they are less capable of hard labour, being obliged to attend to their children; and, judging from appearance, one may conclude," says the captain, "they would be prolific;" that "he did not see how it could be otherwise, considering the regularity of their lives, their simple and excellent though abstemious mode of living, their meals consisting chiefly of a vegetable diet, with now and then good pork, and occasionally fish."

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The young girls, although they have only the example of their Otaheitan mothers to follow in their dress, are modestly clothed, having generally a piece of cloth of their own manufacture reaching from the waist to the knees, and a mantle, or something of that nature, thrown loosely over the shoulders, and hanging sometimes as low as the ankles : this mantle, however, is frequently thrown aside, being used rather as a shelter for their bodies from the heat of the sun or the severity of the weather, than for the sake of attaching any idea of modesty to the upper part of the person being uncovered; and it is not possible, he says, to behold finer forms thar are exhibited by this partial exposure. Captain Pipon observes, "it was pleasing to see the

good taste and quickness with which they form little shades or parasols of green leaves, to place over the head or bonnets to keep the sun from their eyes. A young girl made one of these in my presence, with such neatness and alacrity as to satisfy me that a fashionable dressmaker of London would be delighted with the simplicity and elegant taste of these untaught females." The same young girl, he says, accompanied them to the boat, carrying on her shoulders, as a present, a large basket of yams, over such roads and down such precipices as were scarcely passable by any creatures except goats, and over which we could scarcely scramble with the help of our hands. Yet with this load on her shoulders she skipped from rock to rock like a young

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roe."

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But," says Captain Pipon, "what delighted us most was the conviction which John Adams had impressed on the minds of these young people, of the propriety and necessity of returning thanks to the Almighty for the many blessings they enjoy. They never omit saying grace before and after meals, and never think of touching food without asking a blessing from Him who gave it. The Lord's Prayer and the Creed they repeat morning and evening."

Captain Pipon imagines the island to be about six miles long and perhaps three or four miles broad, covered with wood; the soil apparently very rich, and the variety of products great and valuable, but much labour would seem to be required to clear away the woods. The dimensions here given, however, are much greater than they have subsequently been found to be.

The visiters having supplied these poor people with some tools, kettles, and other articles, such as the high surf would allow them, with the assistance of the natives, to land, but to no great extent, the two officers again passed through the surf, with the

same assistance, and took leave of these interesting people-satisfied that the island is so well fortified by nature as to oppose an invincible barrier to an invading enemy; that there was no spot apparently where a boat could land with safety, and perhaps not more than one where it could land at all; an everlasting swell of the ocean, rolling in on every side, is dashed into foam against its rocky and ironbound shores.

Such were the first details that were received respecting this young settlement. It may here be remarked, that at the time when Folger visited the island Alexander Smith went by his proper name, and that he had changed it to John Âdams in the intermediate time between his visit and that of Sir Thomas Staines; but it does not appear in any of the accounts which have been given of this interesting little colony, when or for what reason he assumed the latter name. It could not be with any view to concealment, for he freely communicated his history to Folger, and equally so to every subsequent visiter.

The interesting account of Captains Sir Thomas Staines and Pipon, in 1814, produced as little effect on the government as that of Folger; and nothing more was heard of Adams and his family for twelve years nearly, when, in 1825, Captain Beechey, in the Blossom, bound on a voyage of discovery, paid a visit to Pitcairn's Island. Some whale-fishing ship, however, had touched there in the intermediate time, and left on the island a person of the name of John Buffet. "In this man," says Captain Beechey, 66 they have very fortunately found an able and willing schoolmaster; he had belonged to a ship which visited the island, and was so infatuated with the behaviour of the people, being himself naturally of a devout and serious turn of mind, that he resolved to remain among them; and, in addition to the instruction of the children, has taken upon himself

the duty of clergyman, and is the oracle of the com munity."

On the approach of the Blossom towards the island, a boat was observed, under all sail, hastening towards the ship, which they considered to be the boat of some whaler, but were soon agreeably undeceived by the singular appearance of her crew, which consisted of old Adams and many of the young men belonging to the island. They did not venture at once to lay hold of the ship till they had first inquired if they might come on board; and on permission being granted, they sprung up the side and shook every officer by the hand with undisguised feelings of gratification.

The activity of the young men, ten in number, outstripped that of old Adams, who was in his sixtyfifth year, and somewhat corpulent. He was dressed in a sailor's shirt and trousers and a low-crowned hat, which he held in his hand until desired to put it on. He still retained his sailor's manners, doffing his hat and smoothing down his bald forehead whenever he was addressed by the officers of the Blossom.

The young men were tall, robust, and healthy, with good-natured countenances, and a simplicity of manner, and a fear of doing something that might be wrong, which at once prevented the possibility of giving offence. Their dresses were whimsical enough; some had long coats without trousers, and others trousers without coats, and others again waistcoats without either. None of them had either shoes or stockings, and there were only two hats among them, "neither of which,” Captain Beechey says, "seemed likely to hang long together."

Captain Beechey procured from Adams a narra tive of the whole transaction of the mutiny, which, however, is incorrect in many parts; and also a history of the broils and disputes which led to the vio

ent death of all those misguided men (with the exception of Young and Adams) who accompanied Christian in the Bounty to Pitcairn's Island.

It may be recollected that the Bounty was carried away from Otaheite by nine of the mutineers. Their

names were

1. Fletcher Christian, Acting Lieutenant.

2. Edward Young, Midshipman.

3. Alexander Smith (alias John Adams), Seaman.

4. William M'Koy,

5. Matthew Quintal,

6. John Williams,

7. Isaac Martin,

Seamen.

8. John Mills, Gunner's Mate.

9. William Brown, Botanist's Assistant.

They brought with them six men and twelv women, natives of Tabouai and Otaheite. The first step after their arrival was to divide the whole island into nine equal portions, to the exclusion of those poor people whom they had seduced to accompany them, and some of whom are stated to have been carried off against their inclination. At first they were considered as the friends of the white men, but very soon became their slaves. They assisted in the cultivation of the soil, in building houses, and in fetching wood and water, without murmuring or complaining; and things went on peaceably and prosperously for about two years, when Williams, who had lost his wife about a month after their arrival, by a fall from a rock while collecting birds' eggs, became dissatisfied, and insisted on having another wife, or threatened to leave the island in one of the Bounty's boats. Being useful as an armourer, the Europeans were unwilling to part with him, and he, still persisting in his unreasonable demand, had the injustice to compel one of the Otaneitans to give up his wife to him.

By this act of flagrant oppression his countrymen made common cause with their injured companion, and laid a plan for the extermination of the Euro