Thou hast in mercy taught us
To know that Thou art God.
With undisguised submission
We would approach Thy throne,
Presenting this petition,
‘Thy will, O Lord, be done.’”
There had been two deaths on the island since the second party arrived, and those took place within a few weeks of each other. The first was that of Hannah Young, John Adam’s youngest daughter, in her sixty-third year; the other a young girl, both victims of consumption.
During the year 1867 the people had the pleasure of enjoying the visits of the royal mail steamers Rakaia and Kaikoura. The former called three times, and the latter once, before the Panama line was broken up. The account of the Rakaia’s first visit, written by a gentleman of the name of Dilke, who was a passenger on board, and which was published in the Leisure Hour for 1868 or 1869, eventually reached the island, and was read with much interest by the people. The illustration that accompanied the article caused a great deal of amusement, as it represented a canoe ornamented with cocoanut leaves and loaded with fruit, being paddled off to a vessel in the distance. The canoe had two occupants, each one clad in a small waistcloth as his only covering. The representation was not very true to fact. As a further illustration of what those in the outside world knew about the little isolated rock and the people upon it, may be told the following little incident:—
About two years before the Rakaia’s call, a merchant vessel, the John L. Demock, on her passage from the Australian colonies to San Francisco, lay becalmed for two nights and a day off the island. The ship was not seen, as she came in on the south side of the island. On the second day, as the people on board saw no boat from the shore nor any other sign that the island was inhabited, they lowered a boat, and its crew, with several gentlemen passengers, pulled for the shore. The people on shore descried the boat only when she was within a short distance from land, and a canoe or two put off to meet and welcome the strangers, and show them the landing place. It was an agreeable surprise to the visitors to find themselves addressed in the English language, and the hearty welcome extended to them, and the warm invitation to come and partake of the hospitalities of the island, entirely disarmed them of their fears, and they hastily hid away the weapons of defense with which they had come well armed in case of a hostile attack. Their stay of a day and a night was sufficient to prove that nothing but good will was felt toward them by all, and on leaving they took with them their boat loaded down with all that the island could supply. On reaching the ship they found their companions getting ready another boat and more weapons to come in search of them, fearing that they might have fallen in with enemies. But the long detention was happily explained, and the good ship soon was on her way again. Some questions that have been put to those who go on board ship, even at this late date, are very amusing. “Do you know what that is?” was asked of one of the islanders, the article in question being a lump of sugar. “Can you read writing?” “Can anyone on the island read?” or, “You do not know what reading is?” and similar questions have been earnestly asked by some who for the first time have become acquainted with the people.
In March of 1868 John Buffett, now over seventy years of age, but still hale and active, came to visit his only daughter, Mrs. Mary Young. Everybody was glad to welcome the old man, whom no one had expected to see again. In June of the same year the Ashburton, from the colonies, made a call, stopping for a day and a night. Her captain, Smith, was a former acquaintance, and now, as a large company of passengers was with him, he kindly allowed them to come ashore and spend the day. The ladies and gentlemen were not slow to avail themselves of the kind permission, and the pleasure of their short visit was as much enjoyed by the islanders as by themselves. A table long enough for the whole party was spread, around which they all sat down to a dinner that had been hastily gotten up for them. In the evening some of the company belonging to an opera troupe, led by Mr. Fred Lyster and Miss Minnie Walton, sang a few of their songs for the entertainment of the people, and in return the schoolchildren sang some of their part songs. These ended, the visitors took their leave, as night had come on, but the beautiful moon, shining in its full brilliancy, lighted the way over the rippling waters, as the boat, weighed down with its living human freight, glided on its way, after the hearty “Godspeed” had been spoken.