Nobbs did not long delay seeking to woo and win a wife; and, with some difficulty, at length succeeded in obtaining the hand of Sarah Christian, a granddaughter of Fletcher Christian. Bunker was not so fortunate, for Peggy Christian would not listen to his suit, and whether through unrequited love or a fit of temporary insanity is not known, but he attempted self-destruction by throwing himself headlong off a cliff. By some means the fall was broken, and his suicidal intentions were frustrated. He died, however, shortly after.
ROSA YOUNG. ARTHUR YOUNG.
JOHN YOUNG. SARAH YOUNG.
The launch on which the voyage of the two men was made was run ashore, broken up, and used in building Nobbs’ house. In giving an account of himself, Nobbs said that he was the “unacknowledged son of a marquis.” Being, by a superior education, better fitted than was John Buffett to fill the place of teacher among the youth of the island, Nobbs had not been long among them before he took charge of the school, taking the work almost entirely out of Buffett’s hands. Buffett was inclined to resent this act of Nobbs as a gross injustice, but the people in general favored the change, chiefly because of a grave fault which Buffett had committed. Yet some of the parents remained faithful in their allegiance to the teacher that had first come among them, and did not withdraw their children from his care, for, in spite of his fault, he endeavored to the best of his ability to perform his duty faithfully to them, while he sought to atone for the wrong he had done by a lifelong repentance.
The duty of officiating as pastor was also assumed by Nobbs. John Adams had by this time left the management of everything that concerned the progress and improvement of the people, in the hands of the two younger men. On the twenty-ninth day of March, 1829, the year following the arrival of Nobbs, the last of the Englishmen that came in the Bounty passed quietly and peacefully away, at the age of sixty-five years, deeply and sincerely mourned by the family over whom he had been so strangely placed. He survived the last of his companions twenty-nine years. A plain white stone marks his resting place, the inscription “In Hope” being placed beneath the simple record of his name, age, and death. The headstone was made in Devonport, England.
A year subsequent to the death of John Adams the Seringapatam, man-of-war, Captain Waldegrave, visited the island, bringing gifts of clothing and other useful presents to the islanders. Previous to that time the people, on account of their rapidly increasing numbers, had been considering whether the island, with its limited resources, would be adequate to their support and maintenance, not the least cause of anxiety being the scarcity of water. This condition of affairs was reported to the proper authorities, and an arrangement having been effected between the British Government and the authorities at Tahiti for a grant of land for the use of the Pitcairners in Tahiti, the Comet, sloop, Captain Sandilands, arrived at Pitcairn Island on the twenty-eighth day of February, 1831, as convoy to the Lucy Ann, which, on the seventh day of March, sailed for Tahiti, with the whole Pitcairn Island colony, and their small stock of movable goods, on board.
At the end of fourteen days the emigrants landed, having received a cordial welcome. But the experiment did not succeed. They had not been long in Tahiti when a malignant fever broke out amongst them and rapidly reduced their numbers. Fourteen of the people died in quick succession, and, notwithstanding the liberal provision made for their support by the kind-hearted people of Tahiti, the Pitcairners were anxiously desirous to return to their home. Then, too, the manners of the people among whom they now lived were so different from the pure, simple lives they led amongst themselves, and the open and undisguised immorality of some of the people around them rendered them very unhappy. In less than three weeks after their arrival at Tahiti an opportunity of returning presented itself, and Buffett and his family availed themselves of it. Four more of the young men accompanied them. The vessel that carried them called at Hood’s Island on the way, and there one of the four young men died. After the safe arrival home of the others, and before the rest of the community came, another of their number passed away.
Meanwhile, preparations were making at Tahiti for the return of the rest of the people. The schooner Charles Doggett was chartered to convey them to their home. A quantity of the Bounty’s copper had been carried to Tahiti, and this was given by the people to purchase the schooner, as it was all they were able to do; but liberal aid was given by generous friends in Tahiti, who raised a subscription to supply the deficiency. The return voyage occupied twenty-two days, the whole stay at Tahiti not extending over five months.