house, and was never seen again alive. His parents becoming anxious about their child, went from house to house making inquiries, but could hear nothing of him; they called also at the singing-school, it being Wednesday evening, but could obtain no further intelligence than that mentioned above. Alarm being now created, most of the community went in search. At length Frederick and his wife, with two or three others, discovered the horse quietly grazing near 'Emily Bay.' One end of the rope which the boy had taken with him, and probably coiled above his shoulders and under his arm for convenience, was attached to the horse's neck, and, sad to relate, the other end was twined round the body and neck of their poor child. Life was extinct, and had been so for some hours, it being ten o'clock when the body was found. He no doubt died from strangulation, though there were two fractures of the skull, either of which would have caused death. It was a dreadful sight, especially for poor Frederick and his wife, who were the first to make the awful discovery. The circumstance has thrown a gloom over the whole of the community.

"I think I mentioned in my last the hasty and unexpected departure of the stone-mason; and I learn from our people the miller intends following him, though he will leave his wife and children here for the present, as he has not the means of paying their passage hence. It is not probable any mechanic who can do better will remain in so isolated a spot as this, without any probability of rendering their labor remunerative beyond the acquirement of a bare subsistence. There is no possibility of making money. The community have none; what little they had has been laid out, and I think beneficially so, in Mr. Rossiter's store, and the prospect of obtaining more is very doubtful. We have plenty of sweet-potatoes for sale, but ships do not want them; we have beef also, but whenever a whaler purchases any, he demurs about paying in cash, and frequently declines it altogether if trade of some kind is not taken in exchange, and even then the quantities of

meat required are so small, that the returns among the community amount to but a trifle indeed. Believe me, I do not speak in a complaining manner. I have no reason to do so, for we are much better off than at Pitcairn, and neither I nor mine would return on any account; but strangers can not assimilate with us, and of course express themselves greatly disappointed in their expectations, and I dare say they really are so.

"Mr. Rossiter is very attentive to the school, but I do not yet see there is practically any improvement upon the old régime-what may be hereafter is hard to say. I presume I have been the most benefited by Mr. Rossiter's advent, in being relieved from the cares and responsibilities of teaching, which were ever a source of intense anxiety to me, and told heavily on my constitution. If Mr. Rossiter has as good a salary as report says he has, of course he will remain as long as his appointment lasts; to what length that may extend I know not. He is very attentive, and regular in attendance at the school, and sets a good example of industry in his own affairs at other times; but there is a brusqueness in his general deportment, which prevents his being generally liked by the community. I am not complaining of Mr. Rossiter; he is very respectful to myself, and we are on the best of terms, as far as our intercourse with each other extends, and will, I have no doubt, continue so; but many of our people think he is placed here for some latent purpose by the Government or the governor, and are therefore prejudiced in their opinions. I sometimes fear, but I hope better things, that several families will return to Pitcairn, if they can obtain a passage.

"Well, now, my dear Forty, I must conclude this digressive epistle, by asking you to offer my respects to Commodore Loring, your worthy shipmates, and to any one else who may care to inquire after the welfare of yours most sincerely and gratefully, GEORGE H. NOBBS."

Extract from a letter from Mr. Nobbs's daughter Jane

to Admiral Moresby, in which she alludes to her mother's declining health:

"Norfolk Island, March 13th, 1861. "Our beloved mother, who is now getting quite old, is not at all well of late. She does not get very weak, but is hardly able to do any thing without being very ill. I have a good deal of work to do at all times, but I always try to bear in mind what the holy Apostle says, 'In whatsoever state I am therewith to be content;' and that always cheers me in my daily labor. Sometimes I feel sorely anxious about her. If any thing should happen to her, I don't know what I should do, for I often think I can not live without her; but still a voice would say, 'It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good.' Sometimes I have Dorcas Young to help me. She has become such a good, kind-hearted woman that she is every one's favorite. "If strangers come to Norfolk Island, and at any time want help, they would even send for her to assist them before any one else. Mrs. Rossiter often sends for her to help, if they have any thing to do more than they can do themselves. She lives in the next house to ours with her sister Miriam Christian. She is my best friend among the girls, and I would not lose her friendship for any thing the world can offer me.

66 'We very, very often talk of you, the old Portland, and Pitcairn. I am very much obliged to you, my worthy friend, for the kind remembrance in father's letter, but I humbly ask you not to think that any uncertainty of getting married will prevent my writing to you—one to whom I owe so much remembrance and gratitude. As to that affair, I leave it entirely to the will of the All-wise Providence; if it should be His will that we should get married, I trust He will bless us; but if otherwise, then, 'His will be done' also; but I assure you I love him sincerely."

In the following letter from Mr. Nobbs to his kind friends in England, Mr. and Mrs. White, the daughter and

son-in-law of Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby, K.C.B., he mentions the recent arrival of His Excellency Sir John Young, successor of Sir William Denison as Governor-general of New South Wales:

"Norfolk Island, February 26th, 1862. "MY DEAR FRIENDS,-May the peace of God, which bringeth salvation, be to and upon yourselves, and all whom you love. It is nearly a decade of years since I partook of the domestic hospitalities of so many friends in England, and yours beloved neither the last nor the least. The recollections of such unqualified kindness have not at all faded from my memory: but very few of those who accorded me the right hand of Christian sympathy and benevolence are now in the flesh. With the exception of Sir Fairfax, Sir Thomas Acland, Mrs. Prevost, and yourselves, all, or nearly all, have been summoned from time into eternity. Well, in all probability, ere another decade, the two first of these, my well-beloved friends, and myself, will have passed the 'bourne,' and shall know, even as we are known. Oh! that in passing the stream we may be enabled to say with Hopeful, 'I feel the bottom, and it is good!' May our token be 'the arrow with a point sharpened with love!' Some of the tokens manifested to Christian's friends are beginning to display themselves on my bodily frame; may other admonitions be as cheerfully attended to, and the preparation made with corresponding alacrity; and may I be enabled to exclaim, 'Grace reigns!'

"I have not heard from you for a long time, but I received some months since very tangible evidence that you remembered us, in deeds, if not in words. . . If it should please yourselves or your Christian friends to contribute further to the comfort of other members of the community and myself and families, please to put inside the box a few lines, so that should a letter miscarry, we may not be at a loss to attribute the favor to those who have a just claim to our gratitude.

"None of our elder people have died since our abode here, and we have not nearly as much sickness here as at Pitcairn. Nearly six years have elapsed, and there have been but thirteen deaths (four of them accidental; nearly all the others very young children) to eighty-six births, so that you see, my dear friends, 'tis not at Grantham only that population rapidly increases. Jane was married a few months since to her cousin John Quintal. I have now six children married, and, of course, grandchildren are rapidly increasing in number. My dear wife suffers very much at times from what I fear is a disease of the heart. She sends her Christian regards to yourselves and your olive-branches. I should like to meet them all around your hospitable board, but as that may not be, I and mine will remember them when we assemble round the footstool of grace and mercy.

"With fervent aspirations that you may be saved with an everlasting salvation, I am, dear Robert and Mary White, yours in Christian verity,

"GEORGE H. NOBBS.

"April 6th.-I open this to say Sir John Young arrived yesterday, and will leave on Sunday. All in a bustle, not the least myself, attending His Excellency and preparing a sermon. I will write to the admiral soon."

We shall here digress a little from the history of the Pitcairn colony to relate a sad misfortune which befell two of their most promising young men.

In the year 1860, Bishop Selwyn, considering that the diocese of New Zealand was too extensive, and the duties in consequence too onerous, represented to the Government the advantage of separating the Melanesian Islands and forming them into a bishopric. He also recommended the Rev. Mr. Patteson, from his knowledge of the dif *ferent languages, as the fittest person to fill the office of bishop.

The Government assented to these representations, and