518 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
their shoulders, dashing through 
a heavy surf, and paddling off to 
the ships; but their astonishment 
was unbounded on hearing one of 
them, on approachifig the ship, 
call out in the English language, 
‘© Won’t you heave us a rope, 
now ?” 
The first man who got on board 
the Briton soon proved who they 
were. His name, hé said, was 
Thursday October Christian, the 
first born on the Island. He was 
then about five-and-twenty years 
of age, and is described as a fine 
young man, about six feet high ; 
his hair deep black ; his counte- 
nance open and interesting; of a 
brownish cast, but free from all 
that mixture of a reddish tint 
which prevails on the Pacific 
islands; his only dress was a piece 
of cloth round his loins, and a 
straw hat ornamented with the 
black feathers of the domestic 
fowl. ‘* With a great share of 
good humour,” says Captain Pi- 
pon, ‘we were glad to trace in 
his benevolent countenance all the 
features of an honest English 
face,’>—*I must confess,” he con- 
tinues, “I could not survey this 
interesting person without feel- 
ings of tenderness and compas- 
sion.” His companion was named 
George Young, a fine youth, of 
17 or 18 years of age. 
If the astonishment of the Cap- 
' tains was great on hearing their 
first salutation in English, their 
surprise and interest were not a 
little increased on Sir Thomas 
Staines taking the youths below 
and setting before them some- 
thing to eat, when one of them 
rose up, and placing his hands 
together in a posture of devotion, 
distinctly repeated, and in a pleas- 
ing tone and manner, ‘ For what 
we are going to receive, the Lord 
make us truly thankful.” 
They expressed great surprise 
on seeing a cow on board the 
Briton, and were in doubt whe- 
ther she was a great goat, or a 
horned sow. 
The two Captains of his Mae 
jesty’s ships accompanied these 
young men on shore. With sonte 
difficulty, and a good wetting, and 
with the assistance of their con- 
ductors, they accomplished a land- 
ing through the surf, and were 
soon after met by John Adams; a 
man between 50 and 60 years of 
age, who conducted them to his 
house. His wife accompanied 
him, a very old lady blind with 
age. He was at first alarmed, 
lest the visit was to apprehend 
him; but on being told that they 
were perfectly ignorant of his ex- 
istence, he was relieved from his 
anxiety. Being once assured that 
this visit was of a peaceable na- 
ture, it is impossible to describe 
thejoy these poor people manifest- 
ed onseeing those whom they were 
pleased to consider as their eoun- 
trymen. Yams, cocoa-nuts, and 
other fruits; with fine fresh eggs, 
were laid before them; and the 
old man would have killed and 
dressed a hog for his visitors, but 
time would not allow them to 
partake of his intended feast. 
This interesting new colony, it 
seemed, now consisted of about 
46 persons, mostly grown up 
young people, besides a number 
of infants. The young men, all 
born on the island, were very 
athletic and of the finest forms, 
their countenances open and pleas- 
ing, indicating much benevolence 
and goodness of heart; but the 
young women were objects of par- 
ticular admiration, tall, robust, 
