Revised Jun 1 2021
On the 23d of January, 1875, the Cornwallis, an English merchat-vessel, was wrecked on the rocks, on the north side of the island. Such a fearful disaster had never occurred here before, and a feeling of awe and terror possessed every breast at the dreadful event. A son of Moses Young's, a boy of twelve years of age, perished, while attempting to get something that was being washed ashore from the wreck. None of the crew of the Cornwallis received any injury, and we did what we could to render them comfortable, during their stay. Two days after the shipwreck, they were taken off the island by an American Vessel, the Dauntless, whose Christian captain, Wilbur, kindly gage them a passage to New York, whither he was bound.
We hoped that no such calamity would again befall any poor mariner, but still we were ready to offer any assistance in our power, should our help at any time be required. How little we dreamed that before the year was ended we should have another shipwrecked crew thrown upon our hospitality! But so it was. On the morning of the 28th of September following, the inhabitants were surprised to see two boats approaching the island from the north-west; they were instantly supposed to be a shipwrecked crew, seeking to find a home here till some vessel could take them away. And so it proved. It was the crew of the Liverpool ship Khandeish, lost on Oeno Island, on the 25th of September. The wind favoring them, they reached this island after a three days' run from Oeno. A boat went off to the shipwrecked men, and accompanied them to the shore, where nearly all of the inhabitants had assembled to welcome the poor sailors. After dividing them off by twos and threes, they ascended the steep hill leading up to the village, where they found a home with the different families till the day of their departure. After a stay of fifty-one days, during which time they were regarded by the inhabitants as part of themselves, they bade farewell to Pitcairn Island and its people, with regret and sorrow on both sides, and embarked on the ship Ennerdale, for San Francisco, where they arrived and cast anchor on the 28th of December, after a passage of forty days. One of the crew of the Khandeish, Peter Butler, an American, remained on the island, and was afterward married to the widow of Robert Young.
After the return of the crew of the late Khandeish to San Francisco, a deep interest was manifested by the good people there on our behalf, and they have from time to time contributed various articles, and sent them as gifts to us. Among the gifts was an organ, the first instrument of the kind that was landed here, with the exception of an old harmonium left a short time before, by the doctor of an English sloop of war.
In September of the same year, Captain Freeman, of the Gold Hunter, and in October, Captain Humphrey of the Golden Fleece, brought us gifts of cooking utensils, crockery, etc., sent from San Francisco. We owe them all a debt of gratitude we can never repay, and feel that we are unworthy recipients of their bounty, and can only pray that, according to the kindness they have shown us, so may God reward them a thousand-fold.