* Recent History of the Pltcairn Islanders. 263 



self, and tears of emotion flowed down his wrinkled clieelcs 

 and silvery beard. At this period the island boasted 66 in- 

 habitants, and the old man felt deep anxiety lest the little 

 spot of earth to which he was banished apparently without 

 liope of reprieve, should ere long prove insufficient to pro- 

 vide adequate support or even space for its rapidly-increas- 

 ing population.* He spoke to the excellent Beecliy upon the 

 subject, and implored the English Government to provide 

 his little flock with a more comfortable abiding-place under 

 the English sceptre, and better adapted to the wants of his 

 rapidly-increasing posterity. 



On 5th March, 1 829, Adams expired at the age sixty-five^ 

 surrounded by his children and descendants. In the latter 

 days of his illness, during the short intervals of ease which 

 his intermittent agony left him, he expressed a wish that the 

 community would during his life select some one to be their 

 head ; however, out of respect for the venerable sufferer, 

 this was not carried out officially, but after the death of 

 Adams, Edward Johnny, son of one of the seamen of the 

 Bounty J assumed the Presidency of the little colony, while 

 renouncing the honorary title. 



.Under him the Anglo-Tahitian settlers enjoyed visible 

 prosperity, when an unexpected event destroyed for ever the 



• One main source of anxiety, which determined Adams to request the good of- 

 ficers of the British Government, was the scanty supply of drinking-water. There 

 was at this time only one available spring of fresh water, and this supply was so 

 small that two quarts of water were all that each family could be allowed during the 

 day. 



