ARRIVAL OF THE COMMUNITY. 369 
Captain Denham had now daily reason to ex- 
pect the arrival of the Morayshire with the Pit- 
cairn community on board. " And," he added, 
" as the presence of one of Her Majesty's ships 
at the new home of that interesting people would 
doubtless cheer them, as well as afford them 
essential aid in landing and organizing, on the 
one hand, whilst, as simultaneously as possible, 
clearing the island of its residue as a penal settle- 
ment, I became solicitous of being on the spot. 
I therefore had only to hope that the transport 
would arrive before my primary object in taking 
Norfolk Island en route to the Polynesian Islands 
could be accomplished. 
Fortunately, on Sunday the 8th instant, 
although a gloomy and rather boisterous day, 
with considerable surf, the Morayshire not only 
closed with the island, but, being joined by the 
Herald, and assisted by a tracing of our survey, 
she took up a favourable position for disembar- 
cation ; and by sunset the Pitcairn community, 
numbering 194 persons, were comfortably 
housed, as well as landed, without accident. I 
was invited to their first evening Church service 
at their new home, when a special thanksgiving 
was rendered unto God for the preservation 
vouchsafed, and His guidance implored in the 
new era they had just entered upon. It was an 
exemplary manifestation of habitual piety that 
would not allow fatigue, amounting with many 
to almost exhaustion, nor that excitement in the 
robust at the extreme novelty of matters around 
them, to interfere with their wonted primary 
duty in life. On the contrary, these artless, sell- 
A a2 
