116 LETTER OF SIR T. STAINES. 
between them and the Englishmen, and five 
of the latter have died at different periods, 
leaving at present only one man and several 
women, of the original settlers. 
" The island must, undoubtedly, be that 
called Pitcairn, although erroneously laid 
down in the charts. We had the meridian 
sun close to it, which gave us 25 deg. 4 min. 
S. latitude, and 130 deg. 25 min. W. longi- 
tude, by chronometers of the Briton and Tagus. 
It is abundant in yams, plantains, hogs, goats, 
and fowls, but affords no shelter for a ship 
or vessel of any description : neither could a 
ship water there without great difficulty. 
" I cannot refrain from offering my opinion, 
that it is well worthy the attention of our 
laudable religious Societies, particularly that 
for propagating the Christian religion, the 
whole of the inhabitants speaking the Ota- 
heitan tongue as well as English. During 
the whole of the time they have been on the 
island, only one ship has ever communicated 
with them, which took place about six years 
since, by an American ship, called the Topaz, 
of Boston, Mayhew Folger, master. The 
island is completely iron-bound, with rocky 
