202 JOHN BUFFETT. 
mate from London in an American ship "bound 
for Canton. From Canton he went to Manilla, 
and, after experiencing many trials and hard- 
ships by sea, proceeded to California, where he 
remained for some months. He then joined 
the whale-ship Cyrus, of London, John Hall, 
master, and having procured 1,700 barrels of 
sperm oil, touched, in the passage homeward, 
at Pitcairn's Island, for refreshment. 
" The inhabitants,' ' says Buffett, " being in 
want of some person to teach them to read and 
write, the captain asked me if I should like to 
remain there. 1 told him I should, and was 
discharged and went ashore. When our boat 
landed, the natives appeared very glad to see us. 
We ascended the hill, and were conducted to 
the village, where we saw John Adams. He 
was a man about five feet six inches high, stout 
made, and very corpulent." 
Little did John Buffett, in his various wan- 
derings, imagine that he should one day be well 
settled as an inhabitant of Norfolk Island. 
