254 PUBLIC REGISTER, 1844-45. 
. Barque America returned from Eliza- 
beth Island, our people bringing a very unfa- 
vourable report of it. 
" 1844, July 28th. Arrived, H.M.S. Basilisk, 
Captain Henry Hunt, bringing presents from the 
British Government, Admiral Thomas, the Eev. 
Mr. Armstrong, &c. 
" 1845, Jan. 19th. During the last week we 
have been employed in fishing up two of the 
Bounty's large guns. For fifty-five years they 
have been deposited at the bottom of the sea, on 
a bed of coral, guiltless of blood during the time 
so many thousands of mankind became, in Eu- 
rope, food for cannon. But on Saturday last, 
one of the guns resumed its natural vocation 
at least the innoxious portion of it to wit, 
pouring forth fire and smoke, and causing the 
island to reverberate with its bellowing; the 
other gun is condemned to silence, having been 
spiked by some one in the Bounty. 
" 1845, April 16^." The diary of this date 
contains a striking description of a storm, which, 
bursting over the island, greatly alarmed the 
inhabitants. A considerable portion of the earth 
was detached from the side of the hill situate at 
the head of a ravine, and carried into the sea ; 
about 300 cocoa-nut-trees were torn up by the 
roots, and borne along with it ; a yam-ground, 
containing 1,000 yams, totally disappeared; se- 
veral fishing-boats were destroyed, and large 
pieces of rock were found blocking up the har- 
bour in several parts. In the interior, all the 
plantain patches were levelled, and about 4,000 
plantain-trees destroyed, one-half in full bearing, 
