110 SOCIETY'S EFFORTS FOR PITCAIRN. 
fond of reading a book published by the Society 
for Promoting Christian Knowledge, entitled, 
" The Knowledge and Practice of Christianity ; 
an Instruction for the Indians, by the Eight 
Rev. Dr. Wilson, Bishop of Sodor and Man." 
The reader may feel desirous of learning how 
this " Instruction for the Indians " had reached 
the island. It is satisfactory to find, by a refe- 
rence to the records of the Society for Promoting 
Christian Knowledge, that thirty-five years since, 
Pitcairn partook of the benefits conferred by 
that institution. In the Society's transactions 
of the year 1819, ten years before Adams's death, 
the following entry appears, under the head of the 
Report from Calcutta ; Dr. Middleton being then 
Bishop of Calcutta, and President of the Diocesan 
Committee : 
" In July last, an opportunity having occurred 
of communicating with the little colony on Pit- 
cairn's Island in the South Pacific ocean, by the 
departure from Calcutta of the ship Hercules for 
that place, the Committee were unwilling to 
lose so interesting an occasion of adding to the 
various benevolent contributions made for the 
use of those islanders. It having been intimated 
that a supply of Bibles had been furnished by 
another Committee, the Diocesan Committee 
made such a selection of other books and tracts 
as appeared most suited to the situation of these 
people, which, together with New Testaments, 
Prayer-books, and children's school-books, were 
placed under the care of Captain Henderson, 
accompanied by the following letter, addressed 
to John Adams, and the other islanders. 
