PITCAIEN'S ISLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 90, 25 September 1852, Page 8

PITCAIEN'S ISLAND.

[Continued from onr last.] Saturday, March3oth.— The island has suffered a great loss. The bull, which was brought from Valparaiso some months ago by H.M.S. Daphne, has been found dead, having fallen from the rocks. He was much more venturesome than the cow, and paid the penalty of his rashness. luckily there is another, a very young one, on the island, sent from Auckland, along with two heifers. The vessel in which they were shipped unfortunately altered her course from Pitcairn's Island to Tahiti ; fodder running short, one of the heifers was obliged to be killed; the other two beasts were safely landed at Tahiti, where an American whaler, on hearing their destination, good-naturedly volunteered to bring them on. Perused Consul General Miller's Correspondence, on the subject of relieving the island by drafting off the surplus population to Oahu. To any one holding the tenets of Malthus, or rather what are generally received as his tenets, for it would be difficult to point them out distinctly in any of his works, —to any one holding those doctrines, the present rate of increase in so confined a space, would be a godsend. • The Pitcairn people have declined his offer, and have shewn their good sense in so doing, but nevertheless feel great uneasiness about the future prospects of their community. Several of the young women have agreed together not to marry ; and the question of separating husbands and wives has more than once been seriously entertained. The present population consists of, Males, 77 ; females, 79 : total, 156. There are 15 males unmarried between the ages of 16 and 25; 11 females between the same ages ; 1 widow (old Susannah), 20 married couples.

Siinday,March 31.—Afterevening service Mr. Nobbs turned over his Sunday School to me. And here I will propound a question to the Pharisees, and all who make broad their phylacteries —to the drawers of distinctions; whether practising scales and distances be secular or sacred music.

Monday, April I.—A general meeting was convened this day by the magistrate, to take our case, and .that of Matthew Quintal, into consideration. I happened to pass by the school-house while the consultation was "going on (there are no debates in Pitcairn's Island), and recognised the voice of George Adams, who was declaiming his best. I only caught a single word of what he was saying, but that j word was " welcome," shouted out in earnest. A j statement was drawn up for thepurpose of being forwarded to the Admiral of the station, a copy of which was offered to me ; but I put them off; thinking the less fuss made about the matter the better. We are beginning already to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Fifty-six in number, this day they sang a catch in four parts, steadily and correctly. The progress is far beyond my utmost expectation. The following is a list of the refreshments which can be supplied to shipping; the quantity which can be spared during the year, and the prices which are fixed ; the same charge being adhered to whether the reason be plentiful or scarce:— 1500 to 2000 Cocoa-Nuts, at 2 dollars per 100 40 dozen Fowls, 3 dollars per dozen. 35,000 to 45,000 Oranges, 1 dollar per 100. 10,000 Limes, at 2 dollars per barrel, or 100 gallons Lime-juice, )4 dollar per gallon. 300 to 400 bunches of Plaintains or Bananas, 1 dollar for three bunches. Water-melons, Pumpkins, Beans, &c. These are brought down to the market-place, taken note of by Mr. Nobbs, who distributes the proceeds, theii taken to high water mark, where they are supposed to lie at the risk of the purchasers. The islanders will bring them off in their own boats if it be wished, for which they expect some remuneration, but no charge is made. The watering-place is on the west end of the island, where a vessel may lay at anchor in ten fathoms a quarter of a mile from the shore. The water is contained in stone tanVs, cut, with great labour, out of the solid rock, and filled by a perpetual dropping from the cliffs. 'They say that 200 barrels a-day can be supplied ; but I think that the capacity of the tanks is much overrated. The charge for watering a vessel is from 30s, to 31., according to the quantity required ; they undertake to raft off the casks themselves.

Tuesday, April 2. —Tried all the men's voices separately, for the purpose of classing them. By an odd chance, the baron had brought ashore with, him a tuning-fork, which now did yeoman's

service. The scholars were called up, one by one, before the whole assembly, to be proved and registered. They marched up in turn, without much hanging back, but it was laughable to see the fright they Avere in. As might have been expected, they proved to be mostly bari-tones; a few bassi assoluti among them, but not one legitimate tenor. The Baron holds class in the School-house, giving lessons in linear perspective, and the use of the pencil; each of us in fact contributes what he is able in acquirement to the common stock.

Took a lesson in the manufacture of tappa. It is made from the inner bark of a small tree, seemingly a sort of paper mulbury, called Oute, in Tahiti. This bark is macerated, and gently wrung; the art is to leave in it neither too much or too little water after the wringing. The strips are then laid upon a beam, about ten deep, and beaten out, like gold loaf, with square beaters of whale bone, (the real bone) ribbed on the faces. When one portion has acquired the requisite texture, it is welded on to another by the same process, so perfectly that the juncsure cannot be seen. The beating is a frequent occupation of the women, several of whom work together at the same beam. The clear ringing sound of the strokes may be heard halfway over the island; but the noise, I presume, does not hinder the tappa beating from assuming the same character with milking time, or kiln hole ; at least as it is characterized by the sapient clown in Winter's Tale. Wednesday, April 3.—This morning it was trie womens' turn to be classed. They had yesterday expressed a wish to go through their own ordeal alone, away from "the boys," as they called them. But " the boys" were of another mind, and insisted upon being present, to see the fun. " Make the doors upon a woman's wit," says Bosalind, "and it will out at the casement: shut that, and it will out at the keyhole ; stop that, and it will up with the smoke at the chimney." The lasses took it very quietly, and kept their own counsel; but at an early hour this morning, when the men had gone out to their work, intending to be back by class time, I received a message, begging me to come down, and forthwith to despatch the whole affair out of hand. The summons was duly answered, and although the boys at last gotscent of what was going and came tumbling down the hill in all haste, they were too . late to he even in at the death.

A new house, built for John Adams, is as yet unoccupied. I proposed that we five strangers should go into it, and keep house for ourselves, so as to relieve our individual hosts from our maintenance, although we should be still beholden to the community for an occasional basket of yams. Such an arrangement would be likewise more independent for ourselves, enabling us to keep our own hours without disturbing any one. But our hosts, with one voice, protested against the plan, and even seemed hurt at the proposal. However, I stood my ground steadily, and obtained a compromise at last by agreeing to breakfast and dine as heretofore, if we were suffered to sleep in the separate house. The Baron declined entering into the arrangement, being of opinion that he is very comfortable at Quintal's. Je m'en felicite; il est parfois amusant, mais il faut toujours^se tenir sur ses gardes, crainte de 1' offenser. Encore c' est un raconteur incorrigible, gui se repete impitoyablement, cc que necessite une manque de respect de la part de ses auditeurs, ou bien une assez grande perte de terns. Thursday, April 4.—Left Adam's house for our new abode, in which Mrs. Adams and Phsebe had arranged every thing for us very comfortably. The good old woman said that " it was as bad to her as if two of her own children were going away." When we were fairly installed, George looked reproachfully at us, and said, "if you only knew my feelings, you would never have done this." 1 was upon the point of s;iying, let us go back again. We had completely won upon them in this short time by falling in with all the island ways, questioning them about their progenitors, and eating "popoi," a combination of plaintains and cocoa nut milk which is by no means to be sneered at. For a long time the islanders were obliged to live without any of the conveniences of civilized life, excepting such ns they could manufacture for themselves; having been at one time obliged even to dress themselves in tappa cloth, After a while, as the American whalers got into the way of calling, they were enabled to procure a few luxu.ies, for which

they paid with money received for refreshments. As may be supposed, in dealing with Yankees, our simple friends did not get the best of the bargain; on enquiry, we found that they had throughout been paying the most extravagant prices. I asked why they did not proportion their own charges for refreshments to those of the Yankees for M notions," which my morality was lax enough to think perfectly fair play; but they put me to the blush by saying that the prices of their own supplies were fixed, and that they would rather submit to extortion than alter them.

Of late years, the British Government seems to have taken great interest in the Queen's new subjects, sending them occasional presents of clothes, agricultural tools, and other useful articles. But the amount is trifling, although the islanders think much of it. Their most indefatigable benefactors are Messrs. Armstrong, Tunibull, Rowlandson, and Miller, in Valparaiso, who raise yearly contributions for them. The only sure channel of communication is via Valparaiso, the British Admiral on the station having orders to see that it be visited at least once a year by a Queen's ship. The following is a list of the articles that appear most acceptable:—wearing apparel, carpenter's tools, books of general information, (of religious works they have more than they can read) agricultural implements of the simplest kind, seeds, their gardens boasting as yet but of little variety, although I hope presently to see the island a nursery of European plants to the Pacific, powder, .shot, and percussion caps. A China boar and sow would a valuable acquisition to them, their present breed of pigs consuming far too much food for their weight: a breed of heavy fowls, Malay or Chittagong •, those of the island are light, almost wild, and do much damage in the plantations. A common stout turning lathe would be of great use.

Friday, April s. —Oranges, pineapples, plaintains, watermelons, and bananas, came raining1 in upon us at our new abode, together with a large bag of new clothes, into which we were to dive, and appropriate whatever happened to fit. In the evening I held an extra class, which ended by turning into a house warming. Edward Quintal brought his fiddle—he has picked up some horn-pipes on board ship, which he really plays with great spirit, and the true artistic twang, not forgetting1 the stamp and wriggle, or the grind upon the open fourth— and a ball was opened merrily. The natives danced very well; not waltzes, or mazourkas, but honest English horn pipes ; toes in, knees close, arms akimbo, and double shuffle as distinct as a pewterer's hammer. ■ went to work, and surpassed himself ; he would have done honour to Wapping. The spectators were in ecstacies; even the demure brightened up when a Scotch reel was proposed, and performed as if he had heard the bagpipe singing i' the nose. I capered about as nimbly as I was able, for the sake of encouraging the frolic, but cut a very poor figure by the side of so many masters in the art. It is sound philosophy to make a younker of oneself again from while to while, if one can muster spirits to support the part; October is a good mellow month, and not the worst in the year. The women did not join—it is not their custom to dance with the men—but they shrieked with laughing. We finished off with blind-man's-buff, and all manner of sky-larking; at two in the morning, we sent the whole colony home to their beds, but with small inclination to sleep.

Saturday, April 6. —The singing goes on bygreat strides. Two or three generally come up at daybreak for a private lesson, before going out to work in the field. They can already do without a conductor; even now, I hear " white sand and grey sand" rising into the air from below. I had intended to collect a complete Flora of the Island, but must abandon the intention for want of time : every moment of the day is fully occupied. Sunday, April 7. —The time passes by quickly and pleasantly: there is nothing like having an object to carry out, going at it tooth and nail—imguibus et rostro, and turning in at night with the reflexion that your time has not been lost. But fixed occupation leaves little to say in a log. One of the islanders came to consult me about sending his sons to work their own way in one of the English Colonies. I told him that they would find themselves in a false position, too good for one thing, and not good enough for another; having been bred up in ideas of perfect equality, they would feel themselves lowered in their own esteem, when the

novel sensation of acknowledging superiors was forced upon them. They are fit for nothing hut what they are—squireens upon their own little properties, through very innocence as unfit as children to hold their own in a bustling world. It is best to let well alone: if happiness, as defined by Socrates, be " unrepeuted pleasure," they are in Eden before their time.

Wednesday, April 1.0. —An alarm during the morning lesson ; the church bell ringing", to announce a sail; some of the scholars very fidgetty, and singing not a little out of tune. They are very unhappy at the idea of our going away, and are urgent that I should stay with them for good. A few months might be passed here very pleasantly; but the want of an object would at last render the hours insupportably irksome to any one who had once acquired habits of locomotion and activity. Such a life would soon degenerate into vegetation. It could have been with only feigned satisfaction that Diocletian pointed to his cabbages at Dyrrachium ; the imperial recluse was a humbug before he sowed them, and remained a humbug after their coming up. Yet I confess to having felt a certain relief of mind when the vessel was made out to be only a whaler. Thursday, April 11. —At daylight the ship was standing off and on the island. It was a whaler, eleven days from Tahiti, on the middle ground. The master, came on shore, with a budget of news. He informed us that a very small schooner, which he thought must have been a whale boat raised upon, bound from New Zealand to California, had put into Tahiti, the passengers and crew in a state of starvation. We learned some California news, about two months old : that all foreigners, including the English, had been ordered away from the mines —an order, I fancy, much easier to issue than enforce—and that great numbers were anxious to quit the country. Limejuice is sixty dollars a barrel at San Francisco. As soon as George Adams heard the price of it, he and Thursday Christian agreed to press a quantity, not for themselves, but for me! I shall very quietly take it, keep my own counsel, and forward them the proceeds. It will be doing them a turn, and saving myself the trouble of saying "no."

Another vessel, a barque, shewing English colours ; not noticed until nearly close in, and this time evidently for California. went on board to negotiate for passages ; I could not spare the time, being obliged to put the finishing touches in haste to the several pieces that were only as yet half mustered. I think that my scholars will now be able to work their own way forward in the art, but do not feel over confident about it. At four, p.m., we observed putting off, and walked down to the landing place to hear the news. It was the " Colonist" from Adelaide and Auckland, with 140 people on board, and on short allowance already, she had sailed with stores for 90 days, and was now 91 days out! Beef and flour, which is what she wants, are not to be had from the island, and fresh provisions are of little use in so full a ship. The schipper said that he would have gladly taken us on, but that in such a state as lie then was, he could not venture to do so; a piece of news pleasanter to the islanders, who received it with great glee, than to ourselves. Yet I must confess that I did not feel the disappointment very acutely. But in the course of the eveniug, I heard the schipper's name ; this altered the case considerably ; as five years ago I had sailed with him from Sydney 'to Auckland, ;so that I was able to claim the privilege of old acquaintanceship. We have therefore resolved to make a second attack jupon the ' Colonist to-morrow, with strong hopes of her surrendering at discretion. Friday, April 12.—Went on board, and a strange scene we found it ; every corner crowded, with the strangest, most uncouth set of animals that were perhaps ever herded together in so few square feet. They were miners, mostly Cornish, with their families, from the Buna Buna ; hardly speaking English, but l< gabbling" Oalibau-wise, " like things most brutish." The mate complained that he could not put the ship about without treading on a child. They had been much too well used on the passage—l know the schipper of old, an easy, good-natured man—and now seemed emancipated from all control. Were it not for their anxiety to get to the Diggings, they would be as likely, as not: to take charge of the ship. These,people were earning 30s. and £2 a-week in.South Australia1, but did not know when they were well 6ff. I had armed myself with a sack of fruit for the after cabin, to put the schipper

in good humour: " a man's gift maketh way for him, and bringeth him before the king-;" we offered to put provisions on board for ourselves, for which we were to be again beholden to our good friends ; and after some coquetting1, he consented to take us on board, for old acquaintance sake—that is, if we could find a soft plank to sleep upon, for there was not a rat hole to spare in the ship. All we asked for was leave to set foot on the decks. He had changed his mind about watering, being unwilling to lose a fair wind, so we came off in a great hurry, to pack up our very scanty wardrobes, to get provisions, and to take leave. When we landed, our friends were quite taken aback with the intelligence, for they indulged the hope of a fortnight's respite. I never saw anything taken more to heart. One after the other these good people came up to us, with little conveniences for the voyage,. or whatever they thought they could prevail upon us to accept. It was nothing but fighting one continued battle of refusals. The trifles I took, by way of remem-. brances; but many offered articles of value. One of the girls tried to force a heavy gold ring upon me—how she came by it I cannot tell—and was dreadfully mortified at her want of success; nor would she be consoled until I took from her a piece of riband for my hat. A matron came running after me with a little black pig in her arms—she would have given me a child had I asked it: Palm tree hats, flower wreaths and handkerchiefs poured in upon us. The magistrate put a letter into my hands, which he asked me to forward to the British admiral of the station or to the captain of the first man of war I might fall in with, concerning Matthew Quintal. I left my last will and testament containing some musical advice—all I had to bequeath—with Mr. Nobbs; and sincerely hope that some day or other I may have the chance of adding a codicil. Old and young followed us down to the sea-side, and then ensued a scene, while the boats were loading, that I shall never forget. The poor girls clung round me, as I stood on the beach, some with their handkerchiefs thrown over their faces, and all in tears; Phoebe Adams laid her head on my shoulder, and would not be comforted ; I thought she would have cried her heart out. I tried my best to put a bold face upon the matter, but had much ado to preserve tliat decorous impassibility which is required of a man with a beard upon his chin. T did succeed, nevertheless, and flatter myself that I behaved as imperturbably as did Launce's dog, on a like occasion. " I think, Crab my dog be the sourest natured dog that lives ; my mother weeping, my father wailing, my sister crying, our maid howling, our cat wringing her hands, and all our house in a great perplexity, yet did not this cruel hearted cur shed one tear: he is a stone, a very pebble stone, and has no more pity in him than a dug." For the life of me, I could not keep the ludicrous association out of my head, though I hardly dared open my lips to speak. We tried to get up a chorus; but it broke down, and only made matters worse ; and this lasted for three quarters of an hour, one of the Colonists' passengers, who was not in the secret, looking on in mute astonishment. Right glad was I to hear the signal for embarkation at last. /.Things having gone so far, I thought it as well to cap the climax, and to make a handsome finale to our sojourn ou the island ; moreover, having hitherto behaved with the most cautious reserve to my lady pupils, I had a just right to indemnify myself for past forbearance ; so I singled out my hostess, —an ancient matron, —to begin with, and gave her what was probably the heartiest kiss she had been treated to these many years. The ice once broken, there was no affectation of mock modesty; all came up in turn, to give and take in right good earnest, saving that with two or three I had to put my head beneath the handkerchief. But I fared none the worse for that.

And thus ends my brief stay with the most worthy, guileless, and affectionate people I ever chanced to be thrown amongst. It has been to me an episode in life, and a very happy one; for there is a luxury in the contemplation of innocence so nearly perfect, which he must be hackneyed and callous indeed who cannot feel. Such asociety—so free not only from the grosser vices, but even from petty bickerings and jealousies, from all that host of minor infirmities which are everywhere expected and allowed for, as inseparable from human nature, when even at the best—must be seen to be believed in. It is the realization of Arcadia, or of what we have

been used to suppose had existence only in poetic imagination, the Golden Age. All living as a single household —a commonwealth of brothers and sisters—in patriarchal simplicity and in equality of condition : the earth yielding abunbantly, requiring only so much labour as suffices to preserve its occupants from the listlessness of inactivity: neither wealth nor want: the enjoyment of an additional pleasurable emotion which the imaginers of classic Edens have overlooked— warm loyalty towards ,their queen and attachment to ihe mother country: a keen perception of their own happiness, and gratitude that it has been vouchsafed to them. Fortunati, sua gui bona norant. The surf was heavy, and we shipped much water pushing through it, the boat being laden as deep as she would swim. When we got on board we learned that the vessel was not to sail until the following day, the schipper having again changed his mind. We regretted having come off, but did not return with the boats, being unwilling- to go through another ordeal of leave-taking. Moreover, we have been taught a lesson; chat echaude craint l'eau froide ; by keeping a plank beneath our feet, we are secure from any more uutoward accidents, such as the last. Cras ingens iterabimus a>quor. Saturday, April 13.—The island whaleboats came along side again,,bringing me a lock of hair from Rebecca Christian, and a billet doux from some of my scholars, as follows :— " Kind Preceptor,—When you parted from us last evening, little did we think that we should be so nigh to you another day, or that we should be able to address you. It would have given us great pleasure to have seen you on shore, but as that may never-be, we are glad to have an opportunity of sending you our last and fondest adieus. Whereever you go, our prayers and best wishes will follow you, and till time lasts we will ever think of our beloved preceptor. " From your loving pupils, &c. " Mr. Esq." Surely one has an honest right to be proud of that; right or wrong, at all events, I am proud of it and intend to remain so. Let no one smile at the duplicate title of the address; it is an old English fashion, and no vulgarism. " I'll through Gloucestershire, and there will I visit Master Robert Shallow, Esquire," says FalstafF, after taking prisoner Coleville of the Dale. I have passed as merry a time as could be wished, riding my hobby-horse to my heart's content, and have stored up some pleasant recollections for the future. I confess that lam loth to leave half clone what has been so auspiciously commenced. Had I been concerned with only my own affairs, I would gladly have awaited the next arrival. The Baron is left behind to take up the conductor's baton, which he is excellently well able to wield, and I devoutly pray that he may be detained at least a month. Sunday, April 14.—At 4 p.m. sailed for San Francisco, with three cheers from the island whaleboats. Quod felix faustumqne sit. (To be continued.)