Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 3]
POSTCRIPT TO THE ROYAL GAZETTE
greatly distressed, from a want of mutual confidence and credit ; and fourthly, to the planters of this island, who, for want of casks, will not be able to take off their canes, whereby the ruin of their plantations must follow : to represent to his Honour, that the defenceless state of our navigation is such, that unless a very strong reinforcement arrives for the particular service of this island, it is not probable that the Commander in Chief of his Majesty's ships will have it in his power to grant a sufficient convoy even for our homeward bound winter fleet, much less will it be in his power to protect such ships as might otherwise be sent from hence for slaves and other lumber ; that without such a protection, a supply from America in British vessels is become exceedingly precarious, the French ships of war and privateers having taken a great number of ships in the American Seas ; that the House is aware that the law has not immediately given power to the Representatives of the Crowe in his Majesty's Colonies to open the ports to neutral vessels for the importation of slaves and lumber, but that the urgency of our wants is such that it must supersede all law ; and that when a considerable injury to the revenue, the ruin of many merchants and ship-owners in the mother country, and the destruction of so valuable a colony, is put in competition with the necessary suspension of a commercial law, there can be no hesitation in the choice - the colony must be saved :
And a debate thereon arising, and the question being put, whether such Committee should be appointed ; it was carried in the affirmative.
Ordered, That Mr. Shirley, Mr. Murray, Mr. Chief Justice, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Fullerton, be a committee for that purpose.
On motion, a Committee appointed to bring in a bill to alter and amend an act entitled, "An act to empower the Lieutenant Governor, and Commander in Chief, to issue writs for the election of Members in the room of such as may die during the recess."
House in Committee on the Tonnage bill, Mr. Batty in the chair :
Being resumed, Mr. Barry, from the Committee, reported, they had gone through the bill, and made some amendments thereto ; which he read, and delivered in at the table ; and the same being again read, were agreed unto by the House:
Ordered, That the said bill and amendments be engrossed.
House in Committee on the bill for establishing Rules and Articles of War, Mr. Campbell in the chair :
Being resumed, Mr. Campbell, from the Committee, reported, they had gone through the bill, and made some amendments thereto ; which he read in his place, and delivered in at the table ; and the same being again read, were agreed unto by the House :
Ordered, That the said bill and amendments be engrossed. - Adjourned.
Thursday, October 31.
The engrossed Tonnage Bill, and the Bill for establishing Rules and Articles of War, were read the third time, and passed.
House in Committee on the address to his Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Shirley in the chair :
Being resumed, Mr. Shirley reported, that they had gone through the address, and made some amendments thereto ; which he was directed to report when the House would be pleased to receive the same :
And a motion being made, that the report be received now, the House divided ; Ayes 17, Noes 4; so it was resolved in the affirmative :
Then Mr. Shirley, in his place, read the amendments ; which were agreed to, and the address ordered to be engrossed.
Mr. Murray, according to order, presented to the House a bill to alter and amend the act empowering the Governor, &c. to issue writs for the election of members during the recess of the Assembly ; which was read the first time.
The Clerk of the Board of Works attended with the books and papers belonging to the said Board, which were ordered to lie on the table.
Message from the Council, with the names of such Members of the Board as are to be inserted in the bill appointing Commissioners of forts and fortifications.
House in Committee on the Provision Embargo bill, Mr. Scott in the Chair :
Being resumed, Mr. Scott, from the Committee, reported amendments ; which were agreed to, and, with the bill, ordered to be engrossed.
House in Committee on the bill appointing Commissioners of Forts, &c. Mr. Rodon in the chair :
Being resumed, Mr. Rodon, from the Committee, reported amendments ; which were agreed to, and, with the bill, ordered to be engrossed.
House in Committee on the Party bill, Mr. Shirley in the chair :
Being resumed, Mr. Shirley, from the Committee, reported amendments ; which were agreed to, and, with the bill, ordered to be engrossed.
Ordered, That the Receiver General do purchase, for the use of the House, two copies of the Laws of Jamaica, published by authority, by Alexander Ackman, and that this House will make good the expence thereof.
Adjourned.
D E A T H O F P A P P O.
ON Sunday last, the 27th ult. died at Bath, in St. Thomas in the East, Pappo, the Otaheitean who was left on this island, to assist in cultivating the Bread-Fruit and other Otaheite plants.
Some account of Pappo.
WHEN the Bounty was at Otaheite, Pappo distinguished himself to her people by his activity in supplying them with provisions and curiosities ; in return for such kindness, among other things, was given him a seaman's jacket, which he constantly wore, and from that circumstance was never called by any other name than that of Jackets. He continued a great favourite with the Bounty's crew until he left the island. - After Mr. Christian set Captain Bligh and his party adrift in the boat, near the island of Anamoka, he immediately returned to Otaheite, not with an intention to settle there, as it generally supposed, but in order to take on board some of the natives, together with the productions of the island, and then either colonise some uninhabited island, or settle upon one already inhabited that was little known to the English. Christian was a great favourite with the Otaheiteans, therefore had little difficulty in procuring whatever he chose ; and among the natives taken on board (eleven men and six women) was Pappo. Christian then left Otaheite, and made a well peopled island, called Tabooa, about a fortnight's sail from Otaheite (and once at a distance seen by Captain Cook), where he determined to settle ; and accordingly sent all his live stock, as hogs, goats, cows, and poultry, ashore. At first, the natives behaved very amicably, readily assisting them all in their power ; but, at the end of two months, a quarrel ensued in consequence of the women of the island coming on board the ship : In the action great numbers of the natives were killed ; and here Pappo distinguished himself as a warrior, by not only firing a musket among them several times (which is more than most of his countrymen dare do), but he killed a man with a club in single combat. Mr. Christian receiving a wound in the hand by his own bayonet, was obliged to go on board, and a division at that time taking place among the mutineers. Christian again sailed for Otaheite, where he arrived after being absent three months. Pappo was once more left on his native island, in company with Haywood, Steward, and as many of the crew as chose to remain there ; but Captain Edwards of the Pandora, carrying off these people, the Otaheiteans became possessed of some of their muskets, besides several barrels of powder and ball. - At the time the Providence arrived at Otaheite, Poenou, the Aree of Matavi (so much spoken of by Capt. Cook), was at war with the Aree Rahi, or great Chief, in consequence of his getting some of those muskets and others (particularly two from the Discovery, and three from the Matilda) into his own hands. Pappo was a leader in the royal army, and performed wonders, himself killing three men. Peace being established by the mediation of Capt. Bligh, Pappo was soon known to all the officers and ship's company by his Jacket, which at this time was pretty much worn ; he was also remarkably active in bringing bread-fruit plants to the tent, and so strongly was he attached to us, that, on the ship's leaving the island, he secreted himself below, and next morning, when she was a good distance off shore, made his appearance on deck. Between Otaheite and Timor we lost two men ; Pappo seemed extremely shocked at the idea of throwing them overboard ; he said that we were very cruel fellows, that the poor men ought not to be tossed into the cold water, but hastened to the jib boom, and left at the first land we came to. We flattered ourselves that the curiosity of Pappo and his countryman Madidda would be highly excited at the sight of an European Settlement ; but on the ship's arrival at Timor, we were greatly disappointed in this particular, as none of the wonders they saw fixed their attention three minutes together ; however, the Dutch and Chinese appeared as void of curiosity as themselves, fearcely taking the trouble to look at them, even when cloathed in the Otaheitean manner ; but the Malays asked them a great many questions, and seemed very anxious to be informed of the customs and manners of their country.
At St. Helena, the Governor, Col. brook, paid great attention to the Otaheiteans ; on their account, the troops were reviewed, several heavy pieces of cannon fired, and at night they were treated with the sight of a play ; the firing and manoeuvring of the troops delighted them much, but their wondering ceased with the ending of the review ; the play, they said, was very bad, and that their own country Heivas were much preferable. At St. Vincent's they were both inoculated for the small pox, which Pappo had in a very favourable manner ; however, before he recovered, he caught a severe cold, and was dangerously sick a long time after his arrival in Jamaica. All the natives, of the South Sea islands are remarkably low spirited and obstinate when ill ; accordingly, Pappo in his former sickness would take no medicine from any one but myself, but in his last fever, he not only refused every kind of nourishment and medicine, but would not speak to a single person. He was an exceeding good natured harmless creature, had no ambition, learned very little English, and appeared to be about 34 years of age.
JAMES WILES.