No. 74.
Mr. Osborn
to Mr. Evarts.
Santiago, Chili, October 24, 1878. (Received November 26.)
Sir: In a recent Valparaiso newspaper I rind published a letter and census report from J. R. McKoy, the chief magistrate of Pitcairn’s Island. It was brought to Valparaiso by Rear-Admiral de Honey, of the British navy, who, with the naval ship Shah, recently touched at the island. This island was, it will be remembered, colonized in 1789 by nine mutineers from the British ship Bounty, who took with them from Tahiti nine native men and the same number of women. The mutineers took the women for wives, and the present population is descended from this union. The island was first known to be inhabited in 1808, when it was visited by Captain Folger, of Nantucket, while on a sealing voyage. They subsequently became too numerous for the resources of the island, and in 1856 one hundred and ninety-eight, constituting nearly the entire population, were transported to Norfolk Island. In 1859, some seventeen of these returned, and these, with the few that were left, formed the basis of the present population of ninety. They are said to be an honest people, of simple habits, and of earnest religious convictions.
I have, &c.,