before them something to eat, they rose up, and placing their hands together in a posture of devotion, distinctly repeated, and in a pleasing tone and manner – “For what we are going to receive, the Lord make us truly thankful.” They expressed great surprise on seeing a cow, and said they could not conceive what that great red thing with horns was; but, although they had never seen a dog before, the moment Young saw a little terrier belonging to Sir Thomas Staines, he exclaimed, “Oh! what a pretty little thing, I know what it is – it is a dog.”
After breakfast, the two Captains accomplished a landing through the surf, and were introduced to the head of this little colony, whom they found to be a venerable looking person, upwards of 60 years of age, but of robust stature, and in perfect good health. His wife appeared still older, and was then totally blind.
The little village of Pitcairn forms a pretty square, the houses at the upper end of which were occupied by this ancient couple and their offspring by both marriages: their youngest child is described by Sir Thomas Staines as the finest boy he ever saw. On the opposite side was the dwelling of Thursday-October-Christian, who had married a woman much older than himself, she being the widow of one of the Bounty’s people, and consequently a native of Otaheite; in the centre was a smooth verdant lawn, on which the poultry were let loose, but fenced in so as to prevent the intrusion of the domestic quadrupeds.
The inhabitants of Pitcairn’s island at this time consisted of 41 persons, old and young, the whole in such perfect health that they had not so much as a head ache among them. It is almost needless to say, that they all looked up to the old Englishman, Alexander Smith, alias John Adams, as their head and adviser, both in temporal and spiritual matters; and, says Sir Thomas Staines, “his exemplary conduct and fatherly care of the whole little colony, could not but command admiration.”
The young men were very athletic, and of the finest forms; their countenances open and pleasing, indicating much benevolence and goodness of heart; whilst in every action they
