150 ACCIDENT ON THE ISLAND. 
and such of the crew as were landed were about 
to take their leave. The Virago was the first 
steam- vessel the people had ever seen, no 
steamer having before visited Pitcairn ; and 
they had enjoyed, by the Captain's invitation, 
an agreeable excursion in the vessel round the 
island. Captain Prevost had wished all fare- 
well, and had gone on board to start for 
Otaheite. 
This was on January the 26th, 1853, when 
a most serious accident occurred. The magi- 
strate, Matthew M'Coy, and two others, Charles 
Driver Christian and William Evans, were 
employed in loading the old gun of the Bounty, 
to salute the Virago, on her departure. The 
rammer used was an old rafter, on the top of 
which was a nail. Whilst Matthew was in the 
act of ramming home the charge, the friction 
caused by the nail effected the explosion of the 
powder. He was blown away several yards from 
the gun, and his arm was knocked to pieces. 
The two other men were severely wounded. 
Matthew's arm was carefully amputated ; but 
the shock to the system was too severe ; and 
after he had lingered twelve hours in great 
agony, death put a period to his sufferings. He 
bad the character of being a good man, and well 
prepared for death. The other two, though 
severely hurt, happily recovered, and were able 
to attend Divine service on Easter-day, March 
27th. Matthew M'Coy was a grandson of Wil- 
liam M'Coy, the mutineer, and was about thirty- 
five years of age. He was married to Margaret 
Christian, a sister of Mrs. Nobbs, and had a 
