Revised Jun 19 2021
[Copy.]
Report of Captain Sir Thomas Staines.
“H. M. S. Britain, Valparaiso,Oct. 18th, 1814.
“SIR,—I have the honour to inform you that, on my passage home from the Marquesas Islands to this port, on the morning of the 17th September, I fell in with an island where none is laid down, either in the Admiralty or other charts, according to the several chronometers ofBritain and Tagus. I, therefore, hove-to until daylight, and then closed, to ascertain whether it was inhabited, which I soon discovered it to be, and to my great astonishment found that every individual on the island (forty in number) spoke very good English! They prove to be the descendants of the deluded crew of the Bounty, which from Tahiti proceeded to the above mentioned island, where the ship was burnt.
Christian appeared to have been the leader and sole cause of the mutiny in that ship. A venerable old man, named John Adams, is the only surviving Englishman of those who last quitted Otahite in her, and whose exemplary conduct and fatherly care of the whole of the little colony, could not but command admiration. The pious manner in which all those born on the island have been reared, the correct sense of religion which has been instilled into their young minds by this old man, has given him the pre-eminence over the whole of them, to whom they look up as the father of the whole and one family.
A son of Christian's was the first born upon the island, now about twenty-five years of age, namely, ChristianThursday October Christian. The elder Christian fell a sacrifice to the jealousy of an Otahitian man, within three or four years after their arrival on the island They were accompanied thither by six Otahitian men and twelve women, the former were all swept away by desperate contentions between them and the Englishmen, and five of the latter had died at different periods, leaving at present only one man and seven women of the original settlers.
The island must undoubtedly be that called Pitcairn's, although erroneously laid down in the charts; we had the meridian sun close to it, which gave us 25° 48′ for the latitude, and longitude by chronometers ofBritain and Tagus 130° 25′ west.
It is abundant in yams, plantain; hogs, goats, and fowls; but affords no shelter for a ship or vessel of any description, neither could a ship water there without great difficulty.
I cannot, however, refrain from offering my opinion, that it is well worthy the attention of our laudable religious societies, especially that for propagating the Christian religion; the whole of the inhabitants speaking the Otahitian tongue as well as English.
During the whole of the time they have been on the island, only one ship has ever communicated with them, which took place about six years ago, an American ship, called the Topaz of Boston, Mayhew Folger, master.
The island is completely iron bound with rocky shores, and landing in boats is at all times difficult, although safe to approach to within a short distance in a ship.
“I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,
“(Signed) T. STAINES.
“To Manley Dixon, Esq., Vice-Admiral of the Blue,
“Commander in Chief, &c.;, &c.;, &c.;,
“Rio de Janeiro.”