104 PITCAIEN'S ISLAND. 
Before they were discovered by Captain 
Folger, in September, 1808, two ships had 
been seen from the island. A boat from one 
landed, and the crew carried off some cocoa- 
nuts, but quitted before the inhabitants could 
communicate with them. 
Captain Folger, on his approach, was surprised 
to see smoke, and signs of houses, as he had 
thought the island uninhabited ; but he was 
more astonished on seeing canoes, and on finding 
himself hailed in good English by the men, who 
invited him to land. This he at first declined ; 
but one of the Topaz men, a native of England, 
offered to go on shore, if the ship were allowed 
to come near the rocks, so that he might swim 
off if attacked. He went cautiously on shore, 
and soon met John Adams, who, like the new 
comer, felt some suspicions. Each, in fact, 
doubted the designs of the other; till Adams 
very soon became satisfied of the peaceful inten- 
tions of the visitor. Observing that the man 
had a slovenly and neglected beard, he asked 
him, Why he did not shave ? Without waiting 
for a reply, Adams sent one of the young natives 
for his razors, which were brought, and the 
man having undergone the operation with some 
alarm and apprehension, returned as quickly as 
possible to the ship. The captain then came 
on shore, and remained the greater part of th6 
day. He took the opportunity of giving Adams 
an account of the many and great naval battles 
in which England had been engaged, and of the 
various victories which she had gained. What 
a glorious catalogue, including Camperdown, 
