CAPTAIN WORTH'S TESTIMONY. 181 
every tropical fruit and vegetable : in short, it 
is a little paradise. I examined their laws, 
added a few to them, assembled them all in the 
church, and addressed them, saying how grati- 
fied I was to find them in the happy state they 
were, advising them to follow in the steps of 
virtue and rectitude they had hitherto done, and 
they would never want the sympathies of their 
countrymen (i. e. English), who were most in- 
terested about them. I added such advice as 
I thought useful, and such suggestions as would, 
of course, be to their advantage. It was really 
affecting to see these primitive and excellent 
people, both old and young, 140 in the whole, 
looking up to me, and almost devouring all I 
said, with eager attention, and with scarcely 
a dry eye amongst them ; and, ' albeit unused 
to the melting mood,' I found a moisture collect- 
ing in my own which I could scarcely restrain, 
they were so grateful, so truly thankful for 
all the kindnesses that had from time to time 
been shown them, and the interest in their wel- 
fare shown by us and our countrymen. I had 
all the men and most of the women on board ; 
but there was such a sea on, that the poor girls 
were dreadfully sea-sick. I fired some guns and 
let off rockets on the night of our departure, and 
they returned the compliment by firing an old 
honeycombed gun belonging to the Bounty. I 
set them completely up gave them lOOlbs. of 
powder, ensign and union-jack, casks of salt 
beef and pork, implements of agriculture of all 
kinds, clothes, books, &c. ; and sailed, on the 
evening of the llth, for Tahiti." 
