96 VOYAGE TO THE 



CHAPTER IV. 



Bounty Bay — Observatory landed — Manners, Customs, Occupa- 

 tions, Amusements, &c. of the Natives — Village — Description 

 of the Island — Its produce — Marriage of Adams — Barge hoisted 

 out — Departure — General Description. 



chap. Having detailed the particulars of the mutiny in 



^^^^ the Bounty, and the fate of the most notorious of 



1825. the ring-leaders, and having brought the history of 



Pitcairn Island down to the present period, I shall 



return to the party who had assembled on board the 



ship to greet us on our arrival. 



The Blossom was so different, or to use the ex- 

 pression of our visiters, " so rich," compared with 

 the other ships they had seen,* that they were con- 

 stantly afraid of giving offence or committing some 

 injury, and would not even move without first ask- 

 ing permission. This diffidence gave us full occu- 

 pation for some time, as our restless visiters, anxious 

 to see every thing, seldom directed their attention 

 long to any particular object, or remained in one 

 position or place. Having no latches to their doors, 

 they were ignorant of the manner of opening ours ; 

 and we were consequently attacked on all sides with 



* It was so long since the visit of the Briton and Tagus that they 

 had forgotten their appearance. 



