"After breakfast, all the girls that could be spared we took on board to see the ship, and notwithstanding they were all sick before they got on board, and continued so, they still maintained their cheerfulness, and in the intervals ran about and looked at everything. We made them dance a country dance; but the band was their great treat, for it was the first ever seen, and occupied a great share of their attention. They also sang us several of their beautiful songs, and 'God save the Queen,' and they sing it better than I can pretend to describe. We got on shore about 4 P.M. and supped. I had supper with Jemima Young, and we then went to the singing school. They entertained us pleasantly until 10 P.M. We then proposed blind man's buff, and it was fun, I can tell you, to hear their laughing and screams. This lasted until midnight, when we retired. Tuesday.-Up at daybreak, and until breakfast walked about the village. All those that could not go on board yesterday went to-day, and the band came on shore to amuse the others. The intense excitement it caused, and the curiosity with which they followed it was very amusing. After the band had played some time, the girls sang us some of their beautiful glees, catches, songs, &c., then the band played again. This lasted until 4 o'clock, when it was time to go on board, much to the regret of the whole community. "I went down to the seaside to meet the girls that were coming on shore, as I knew they must have been very sick indeed, and one poor thing half dead I took home. She was so weak that twice she had to rest coming up the hill, and she lay down and put her R head in my lap. It was quite dark, and the poor thing was so grateful; but I could not stay to supper, which was a great disappointment to her, because I was engaged to sup with Rebecca Christian. Rebecca had asked the Admiral, Captain Chads, and Mr. Nobbs. As soon as we were all seated, and grace was said, she watched for our taking the first mouthful, and then laughing with delight she said, 'Oh, you are too welcome to this supper!' After supper, we all repaired to the singing school, and were for the last time enchanted with their beautiful singing. It is really wonderful after only six or seven weeks' tuition. "About 10 we repaired to John Adams's house, and had a splendid game of Blind Man's Buff. The way the active creatures elude you, running and dodging in every direction, and if one of them gets blinded the way they all rush about was most amusing. It was 1 o'clock before we got to bed, and I was to sleep at Jemima Young's house. I was awakened in the morning by Jemima, Martha Young, and Dinah Quintal standing round me, as I had so completely got hid in the feather bed they gave me to sleep in that I was almost lost. We took a walk to a cave up the mountains, and came down to breakfast. This was our last day, and it was rather triste. When 2 P.M. came, and we all had assembled at the landing-place (the whole village) the scene was too affecting. Never in my life have I ever seen anything to equal it. The whole of the kind affectionate people crying, the girls clinging round us, begging us to come back again soon. I tried for a few moments to bear up, but it was a sad failure. I broke down, and am not much ashamed to say (as I kissed them all round) I cried as much as they did. One big stout fellow came and said, 'God bless you, sir,' and gave me a kiss. I thought his heart would break. I could not have believed that a few days would have made me feel such an affection for any single person, much more for a great number, as I did for them; but so it is their honest, pure, virtuous character, produces an impression that can never be effaced. Nearly all the men came on board with us, and we stood close to the island, hoisted the Royal Standard, and fired a Royal Salute. We then gave three hearty cheers, and the band played 'God save the Queen,' 'Rule Britannia,' &c. "It must to the islanders have been a beautiful sight, for, we were so close in, that we could see them all collected under the trees still crying, and we heard their feeble cheers in answer to ours. The parting with the men was worse almost than with the girls; to see big stout fellows crying, and hardly able to look up, was too much. All the officers were deeply affected, and I saw some of the men nearest me, old hardy seamen and big marines, not only wipe away a tear, but regularly crying. "Away! away! we are off for the world again, truly sorry to leave the island. Their happiness in this life consists solely in virtue, and their virtue is their truest pleasure. They think (and how really true is it) that the more religious and virtuous you become the happier you are, deeming every sin to take from your enjoyment in this and the after life. Therefore, if we were to take away the credit due to them for living so good a life from principle, they would still continue, as they know that true pleasure is only to be obtained by obeying the will of God. Their temperance and industry give them health, food, and cheerfulness; gain for them universal esteem, respect, and sympathy; and as in this life they do not seek their pleasures in things below, but in a higher power, and the image of the Saviour is found in their hearts in this world, so we may earnestly hope that they will belong peculiarly to Him in the next. No profligate has ever been known to practise his vicious courses in this island; for their virtue, like a garment in cold weather, completely disarms him and protects them. God protect and bless them! Both sexes like to dress like English people, if they can, on Sundays; and the women complain that they cannot get shoes, but all the men can get them from the whalers. During the week their dress consists chiefly of a dark-blue petticoat, and a white kind of 1 Extract from the 'ARGUS' (a Sydney newspaper.) "Recent visitors declare that drunkenness, the use of bad language, and similar vices, are absolutely unknown among the Pitcairn people. The excellence of their lives, and the harmony in which they dwell together, has surprised every one that has touched at the island, and we have met rough sea-captains and hard-headed merchants from California-the most unlikely people, in fact-who declared the Utopian condition of the island to have been such that they quite fell in love with virtue while they stayed there, and felt strongly tempted to throw money to the dogs, and to remain and become good, among the descendants of the 'Bounty' mutineers. How so entirely novel a community as one composed of Christians and destitute of rogues will get on upon a larger scale, we have as yet no means of knowing." |