The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1928, Page 19

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

19

gross immorality of the Tahitians so shocked the
pure Pitcairners that they returned to their old
home in less than six months.

In 1832, three years after the death of Adams,
a man of about sixty landed on the island. He
said his name was Hill and asserted that he be-
longed to a noble English family and that the
government had sent him to the island to act as
governor. The simple natives believed the man,
and for six years Hill maintained a reign of terror
on the island. It is impossible to recount even a
small part of the mad freaks of the man. He per-
secuted Nobbs, Evans, and Buffet so long until they
finally left the island with their families and re-
mained absent for several years. It was only after
six years that the islanders succeeded in getting a
British ship to take this impostor away. No one
ever learned who Hill really was, where he came
from, and what became of him after he left the
island. After Hill’s departure the three English-
men and their families returned, and by request
of the islanders Mr. Nobbs once more became their
pastor.

The various ships that visited the island in suc-
ceeding years all brought home the most favorable
reports as to the character and lives of the Pit-
cairners. Even the roughest sailors were touched
by the honesty and piety of the people, and one of
them declared that if any insult were offered to any
of them, especially to a female, the offender would
not live long after he had come back on his vessel.
Captain Wood of the ship Pandora, who visited the
island in 1849, writes: “Evil and crime seem to be
unknown among them; their very simplicity toward
us showed such a consciousness of innocence, or
rather, ignorance of evil, that familiarities such as
pass between brothers and sisters were soon estab-
lished. ... The houses are built of wood, and show
progressive improvement in the mechanical part of
them which would not disgrace a European trades-
man.... They rise before the sun, eat when they
are hungry, and sleep when they are tired, and have
no rules for the disposal of their time except on
Sundays, when they attend church twice at the
stated times, and on that day Mr. Nobbs winds up
his watch and sets it by aid of a meridian line
marked on the floor of his house.”

In January, 1850, was celebrated the sixtieth
anniversary of the island’s settlement. In March
of the same year an incident occurred which proved
of importance to the islanders. A party of five
gentlemen landed on. the island with the intention
of merely spending a few hours; but rough weather

coming on, the ship from which they had landed
was obliged to sail away to escape the heavy breakers
around the island, leaving the visitors behind.
Among the visitors was a Mr. Carleton, who had
considerable knowledge of music. To while away the
days of his enforced stay on the island, Mr. Carle-
ton offered to train a choir, and so apt did he
find his pupils that in two weeks they were able to
sing the church service, render four-part selections,
and do other musical performances.

Upon the occasion of the official visit of Admiral
Moresby, in 1852, the islanders expressed the wish
that Mr. Nobbs receive regular ordination at the
hands of a bishop of the Church of England, so that
he would be permitted to administer Holy Com-
munion. Through the kindness of Admiral Moresby
this was made possible, and so we find Nobbs in
England in October of the same year. After hay-
ing been ordained deacon and priest in rapid suc-
cession by the Bishop of London, having preached
several times in London, and been admitted into
the presence of the Queen, Mr. Nobbs left England
in December and arrived at Pitcairn Island in
May, 1853.

During the absence of Nobbs a severe drought
had almost caused a famine, and a few days after
his return the influenza broke out with such viru-
lence that in a week there were scarcely ten well
persons left on the island to take care of the ill.
The population had increased to 172, and it became
plain that the little island could no longer take
care of this number of people. But where should
they go? So strong was their attachment to each
other that they would not think of leaving the
island, unless all could go. Then, too, they were
unwilling to go anywhere except to an island where
they could retain their isolation from the rest of
mankind.

About this time Norfolk Island, which had for
many years served as a penal settlement, was given
up for that purpose because the people of New
Zealand objected to the use of the island as a penal
station. This island was about twelve times as large
as Pitcairn, and the government offered to give it
to the Pitcairners. Seeing the necessity of leaving
their old home, they with sad hearts submitted to
the inevitable. Early in May, 1856, a ship, furnished
by the government, transported them to their new
home. Here they: found well-built stone houses in
readiness for them, fine gardens, and not a-few
cattle and sheep. The surrounding waters had an
abundance of fish, and several of the islands near.
by abounded in rabbits.