VISIT of REAR-ADMIRAL DE HORSEY
EARLY Sunday morning, on the 8th of September, 1878, the islanders were greatly surprised at seeing a British man-of-war to the north of the island. As the mist and light rains that partly hid the ship from view cleared away, she was seen standing in toward the land, with the evident intention of communicating with the shore. The one boat that the islanders possessed was soon launched and on its way to the ship. After a short stay it returned, accompanied by others from the ship; which was H. M. S. Shah, the flagship of the admiral commanding the Pacific station. A large crowd from the ship came on shore, and as they came in time for the morning service, the still unfinished meetinghouse that was being built at the time was furnished with seats formed by boards laid across boxes, to accommodate the congregation, whose number was doubled by the addition of the visitors.
The chaplain of the ship, Rev. J. Reed, took part in officiating. The people greatly enjoyed the pleasure of having Admiral De Horsey and his officers join with them in their worship and service, and would have been pleased to have them remain through the afternoon, but the admiral was anxious to leave on the evening of the same day, so their stay was unavoidably short. However, he afterward kindly yielded to the request to remain until the next day, to afford the people opportunity to get some fruit and other things for their visitors, as they felt that they could not conscientiously allow themselves to do so on the Sunday. Having decided to prolong his stay, the admiral gave an invitation to all the islanders to come on board at eight the next morning to visit his ship and have breakfast there. Most of the people availed themselves of the kind invitation and were ready at an early hour for the anticipated pleasure. The day opened calm and dull, with occasional light showers of rain, which, while they dampened the garments, failed to damp the spirits of those who visited the ship. Breakfast was laid on a long table in the cabin, and at the appointed hour a large party sat down with the good admiral to partake of the bountiful feast he had ordered.
The kind people on board seemed to vie with each other in their efforts to entertain and please, showing their visitors about their huge home on the waters, and how they lived, enjoying, too, the evident wonder and admiration displayed by their guests as they watched the revolving of the mighty engines, and also the keen pleasure and interest they manifested in everything they saw around them. On deck the band was playing, while in one of the rooms below one of the officers was seated at a piano, making music for a company of admiring listeners. In the gun room the crowd of young officers had gathered the schoolchildren together, and persuaded them to sing some of their songs and glees, they in return singing some of their bright, lively songs. The hours flew quickly, and soon one by one the islanders passed down the steep sides of the ship to return home, after wishing their kind visitors good-by, and carrying with them a lively remembrance of their delightful entertainment on board, while the Shah, with her over eight hundred souls, steamed on her way and was soon out of sight.
The following is the report of Rear-Admiral de Horsey, commander in chief on the Pacific station, which was received at the admiralty:—
“September 17, 1878. Sir, I request you will acquaint the lords commissioners of the admiralty that, as Pitcairn Island lay in my track from Esquimalt to Valparaiso, and the weather being sufficiently favorable for landing, I took advantage of the circumstance to visit that island, for the purpose of ascertaining the condition of the inhabitants, and also to obtain refreshments on this long voyage. Having sighted Pitcairn at daylight on the 8th inst., we arrived at Bounty Bay at 8 A. M., and remained off the island until noon the following day, when we proceeded on our voyage.
“A few particulars as to the present condition of this small and almost inaccessible island, the only spot of British territory lying in the vast triangle between Vancouver, Falkland, and Fiji Islands, may not be uninteresting to their lordships, and are therefore made the subjects of this letter. The population at present numbers ninety, of all ages, of which forty-one are males and forty-nine females.... There is but one survivor of the generation which immediately followed the mutineers, viz., Elizabeth Young, aged about eighty-eight, daughter of John Mills, gunner’s mate of the Bounty, and of an Otaheitian mother.
“The oldest man on the island is Thursday October Christian, grandson of Fletcher Christian, master’s mate of the Bounty. The population may be further described as consisting of sixteen men, nineteen women, twenty-five boys, and thirty girls. The deaths on the island have numbered about twelve in the last nineteen years, as no contagious diseases visit the island....
“A few medicines which were sent from Valparaiso in H. M. S. Reindeer (in 1869) are administered as required, by the pastor. Pitcairn Island is governed by a ‘magistrate and chief ruler in subordination to her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain,’ who not only administers the laws, but also enacts them. There are two councillors to advise and assist the chief magistrate, besides which, the ‘heads of families’ are convened for consultation when required.... The chief magistrate is elected annually on New Year’s day, and is open to reëlection. Both sexes of and above the age of seventeen have a vote. The office is at present filled by Mr. James Russell McCoy, who is also steersman of the only boat on the island.... Divine service is held every Sunday at 10:30 A. M. and at three P. M., ... and it is conducted strictly in accordance with the liturgy of the Church of England, by Mr. Simon Young, their selected pastor, who is much respected. A Bible class is held every Wednesday, when all who conveniently can, attend. There is also a general meeting for prayer on the first Friday of every month. Family prayers are said in every house the first thing in the morning and the last thing in the evening, and no food is partaken of without asking God’s blessing before and afterwards. Captain Beechy, writing fifty-three years ago, says: ‘These excellent people appear to live together in perfect harmony and contentment, to be virtuous, religious, cheerful, and hospitable, to be patterns of conjugal and paternal affection, and to have very few vices.’ I have ventured to quote those words, as they hold true to this day, the children having followed in the footsteps of their parents.