THE LEAVE-TAKING. 195 
come back you can take her to the island with 
you.' 
" And now comes the leave-taking, - the 
venerable and benevolent commander-in-chief of 
her Majesty's forces in the Pacific, standing on 
the rocky beach at Bounty Bay (the very spot 
where the mutineers had landed sixty-two 
years before), himself the oldest person there, 
by fifteen years, surrounded by stalwart men 
and matronly women, youths, maidens, and 
little children, every one in tears and most 
deeply affected, formed a truly impressive scene. 
The boat was some time in readiness before the 
admiral could avail himself of an opportunity to 
embark. Some held him by the hand, the elder 
women hanging on his neck, arid the younger 
ones endeavouring to obtain a promise that he 
would revisit them. As a number of the men 
went on board with the admiral, a similar scene 
occurred there ; and as the last boat pushed off 
from the ship, some of the hardy tars standing 
in the gangway were detected in hastily brush- 
ing away a tear. The frigate now stood in for 
the last time, and, hoisting the royal standard, 
fired a salute of twenty- one guns. The tars 
manned the rigging, and gave three hearty 
cheers, and one cheer more. The islanders 
responded : the band struck up ' God save the 
Queen ; ' and the stately Portland started on her 
track. May He who stilleth the raging of the 
waves, waft her propitiously to her destined 
port ! To Admiral Moresby, Mr. Fortescue 
Moresby, Captain Chads, and the officers gene- 
rally, the people of Pitcairn are much indebted 
