Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 2]
[Continued from Series 71.02 page 2]
Pitcairns' Island in Latitude 25º. 2' South,Longitude 130º West from Greenwich, My principal object was to procure Seal Skins for the China Market; & from the account given of the Island in Capt Carterets Voyage I supposd it was Inhabited, but on approaching the Shore in my boat, I was met by three young men in a double Canoe, with a present, consisting of some fruit & a Hog. They spoke to me in the English Language, & informd me that they were born on the Island, & their father was an Englishman that had sailed with Capt Bligh
After discoursing with them a short time I landed, & found an Englishman by the name of Alexr Smith, who informd me he was one of the Bounty's Crew, & that after putting Capt Bligh in the boat with half the Ship's Company, they returnd to Otaheite, where part of their Crew chose to tarry, but Mr. Christian with eight others, including himself, preferrd going to a more remote place, & after making a short stay at Otaheite, where they took wives & six men servants, they proceeded to Pitcairns Island, where they destroyd the Ship, after taking every thing out of her which they thought would be usefull to them. About six years after they landed at this place, their Servants attachd & killd all the English, except my informant, & he was severely wounded. The same night the Otaheitan widows arose & murderd all their Countrymen, leaving Smith with the Widows & Children, where he had resided ever since without being visited.
I remaind but a short time on the Island, & on leaving it, Smith presented me a Time keeper & an Azimuth Compass, which he told me belongd to the Bounty. The Time keeper was taken from me by the Governor of the Island of Juan Fernandez -
[note in margin]
? [indecipherable]
Hawkesworth
Vol. p561.