SERMON PREACHED ON THE ISLAND. 287 
when lie bethought himself of the Bible, brought 
on shore from the Bounty, which had been much 
used by Christian, and also by Young in his 
last illness. After some search he found it, and 
commenced reading it, imperfectly at first, for 
he had never been to school, but had taught 
himself what he did know from scraps of paper 
picked up by him, when a boy, in the streets of 
London. Being, however, a man of excellent 
natural abilities, he was soon enabled to read 
with facility, both the Bible, and the Book of 
Common Prayer; a single Prayer-book also 
having happily been recovered from the Bounty. 
He commenced praying in secret three times a 
day ; nor did he pray in vain ; his mind became 
enlightened, he saw his guilt and danger ; and 
he was almost tempted to despair of pardon. 
Still, as he persevered in reading the Bible, he 
gradually became acquainted with the Gospel 
method of salvation ; and, by the guidance of 
the Holy Spirit, was enabled to come to Him 
who is mighty to save. In short, my brethren, 
he was brought to Jesus. 
" Now, mark the result. From this time he 
commenced instructing the children of the muti- 
neers, first by reading to them portions of the 
Scriptures, and subsequently teaching them to 
read for themselves ; and so anxious were the 
young people to learn, that on one occasion two 
of the lads who were employed by Adams to 
make a mattock of iron from the wreck of the 
Bounty, instead of accepting the promised com- 
pensation, (a quantity of gunpowder,) told 
Adams, they would rather he should give them 
