STATE OF SOCIETY AT PITCAIRN. 115 
to say. The nearest island to Pitcairn, about 
ninety miles to its north, is Oeno, of coral for- 
mation, a barren place, most difficult of access. 
The approach is so bad, owing to the reefs of 
coral encompassing the lagoon which surrounds 
the island, that when Beechey, in December, 
1825, attempted to land, the boat was broken 
to pieces. Lieutenant Belcher narrowly escaped 
with his life, and a young lad of the party was 
drowned. 
There is also, about 120 miles from Pitcairn, 
Elizabeth, or Henderson's Island, so called after 
Captain Henderson, of the Hercules, of Calcutta. 
It is nearly eighty feet above the level of the 
sea, five miles in length, one mile in breadth, of 
volcanic formation, and covered with dead coral. 
The soil is poor and sandy. There are many 
trees and shrubs on the island, and it has been 
occasionally visited by the Pitcairn people, 
chiefly for the sake of the timber found there 
On the occasion of their visit in 1851, they dis- 
covered eight human skeletons lying in caves ; 
probably the remains of some shipwrecked 
mariners, who, unable to procure food or water, 
had lain down to die. Several pieces of wreck 
were found on the shore. 
To return to 1794. Trouble followed trouble. 
The women, in the same year in which they 
had endeavoured to quit Pitcairn, deliberately 
planned the destruction of the four white men 
left among them. This dreadful plot was dis- 
covered in time by the men ; and a partial and 
suspicious peace was brought about. 
But other horrors remained behind. In 1798, 
