226 LETTER TO THE ADMIRAL. 
favours which we have experienced at your 
hands, have made bold to address you in the 
language of children. We feel in ourselves 
that if kindness and protection from a parent 
deserve the respect and obedience of his chil- 
dren, we certainly owe the same to you, for the 
many, many favours which we have received 
from you ever since your arrival in this ocean. 
Your former favours to us are not forgotten, 
and especially your kind visit to us in August 
last. The presents which we then received from 
you and your officers, and good ship's company, 
and those again by the Cockatrice lately, have 
filled us with the deepest gratitude ; and will, we 
doubt not, be remembered in Pitcairn's Island 
when we ourselves are no more. 
" Situated as we are, so far away from the 
rest of mankind, and lying so far out of your 
course, we esteem it the greatest kindness in- 
deed that you should deign to pay us a visit as 
you did ; and we sincerely hope, that through 
the mercy and kindness of ' Him who alone can 
govern the unruly wills and affections of sinful 
men,' we may ever continue to conduct our- 
selves in such a manner as to merit the esteem 
and approbation of yourself and all our nu- 
merous friends. 
" In the name of the community, we beg you 
to accept our most sincere and hearty thanks for 
all your kindness to us. We feel that words 
are but weak to convey our thanks ; but such as 
they are, we hope you will accept of them as 
flowing from sincere and grateful hearts; and 
that the Giver of all good gifts, who has de- 
