THE FATE OF THE COLONY. 531 



from a root which grew in abundance, drank to excess and 

 threw himself headlong from a rock into the sea. Another was 

 slain for entertaining designs upon the wife of the only remain- 

 ing Englishman except Adams. Thus, in 1799, Adams and 

 Young were the only males of the original colony surviving. 

 They began to reflect upon their duties toward their children 

 and those of their companions : they commenced holding re- 

 ligious services morning and evening, and instructed the rising 

 generation in such rudimental branches of education as their 

 own learning would permit. Young died in 1801, and Adams 

 became the administrator and patriarch of the colony. He was 

 assisted by the Tahitian women, who showed a remarkable ca- 

 pacity for civilization and aptitude for refinement. An English 

 frigate, the Briton, touched at Pitcairn in 1814, and her captain 

 offered to take Adams back to England, promising him to pro- 

 cure his pardon from the king. But the forty-seven persons, 

 women and children, forming the settlement, besought their 

 patriarch not to leave them. In 1825, Captain Beechey 

 visited the island, and found the population increased to sixty- 

 six. Adams was sixty years old, but still vigorous and active. 

 He begged Beechey to marry him, according to the rites of the 

 English Church, to the woman with whom he had lived, and 

 who was now infirm and blind. Beechey gladly acceded to 

 the request. Soon after, an English missionary, named Buffet, 

 went out to Pitcairn to assist Adams in the discharge of his 

 duties and to succeed him upon his death. The latter event 

 occurred in 1829. Vessels occasionally stopped at Pitcairn, 

 and the English Government was thus kept informed of the 

 progress of its interesting colony. 



In 1856, the descendants of the original settlers, having in- 

 creased so much as to outgrow the resources of their sea-girt 

 home, abandoned Pitcairn's Island, and transferred themselves, 

 with their goods and chattels, to Norfolk Island, directly west 

 and toward New South Wales. They numbered one hundred 



