Iron Maiden

by Jim Musgrave

  My friends in the Navy, on the contrary, were very supportive of our race's fight for independence, and now I can finally establish a new life on my own.

  I no longer distrust Captains Ericsson and Sinclair, or Lieutenant Greene, as they have told me that they were never slave traders. In fact, as they now tell me, we shall never allow slavery or any type of indentured servitude at our new city-state on Easter Island. Just last night, at dinner, Captain Ericsson showed us all his written constitution, and, sure enough, there was an amendment that said, "No slavery or any type of racial servitude will be permitted at Ericssonville." Captain Sinclair laughed at the name our good leader had given the new city, but we all agreed, since it had been Captain Ericsson's idea in the first place, then the least we could do was to allow our city to be named after him. Perhaps one day, if I can become as intelligent and productive as these gentlemen, then I, too, will have a place on Easter Island named for me. Until then, I will continue reading and studying the books Captain Ericsson and Lieutenant Greene have given me, and work hard to earn their respect. Papa always told me that we had to perform much better than the white folks, because we would never be considered equal to begin with. I am hoping, with my complete being, that things will be different on our new island.

  Captain Sinclair and his wife are not as friendly as the others. I suppose it's because they are English, and many of the English have taken sides with the Rebels in the South. Mister Sinclair never teaches me anything about being a sailor. Captains Worden and Greene, and even Captain Ericsson will always point out something for me to learn on board ship, but this Sinclair always tells me he's too busy, and he often just laughs in my face, as if he finds it much too absurd that I should be asking him such questions. I shall endeavor to stay away from him in the future, and I will try not to get in his way on the island. In the meantime, the others will help me learn. I still love the sea, and our voyage is quite exciting. Captain Ericsson says we shall stop at Pitcairn Island before we finish our journey to Easter Island. This is where the mutinous crew of the H.M.S. Bounty, led by Fletcher Christian, was able to establish another home, free from the hangman's noose. We, too, would most likely be hanged or sent to prison if we stayed in America. This is our only refuge and our only solace. I owe my life to these men, and I will experience my new one thanks to their kindness.

  Chapter Fifty-One: Arrival at Pitcairn Island

  May 24, 1863

  At 1,400 miles to the west, Pitcairn Island would be their closest neighbor, and John Ericsson wanted to find out how these descendants of the British Navy mutineers on the H.M.S. Bounty had survived these many years, since 1790, devoid of contact with civilization. Walter Sinclair, who had visited the island once, in 1858, told Ericsson and the others what little he knew about the present settlers and their history. Walter knew they could not dock in the only bay on the island, Bounty Bay, as it was guarded by treacherous reefs, where many ships before them had grounded and sunk. Thus, the only way they could go ashore was for the men on the island to come out to them in longboats and escort them to the main village, Adamstown, named after the lone survivor of the mutineers, John Adams.

  "John Adams was the man responsible for the survival of Pitcairn Island and its population," said Walter, puffing on his after-dinner pipe, standing at the helm, on the night before their arrival at Pitcairn. Captain Ericsson, Chip Jefferson and Dana Greene were on the bridge with him, and they listed earnestly to his story:

  "Fletcher Christian, the man who had led the mutineers to this remote island, was a son of the Coroner of Cumberland and of Manx descent on his father's side. He had been to school with the poet William Wordsworth, was well educated and, in the words of a friend, mild, generous and sincere. Certainly his energy and cheerfulness drew both respect and affection from his fellows and, although he died a few years after landing at Pitcairn, he is still remembered as the founder and first leader of the settlement."

  "Wordsworth you say? What an esteemed Romantic poet!" said Greene, picturing himself as a modern Fletcher Christian.

  "Of the other mutineers, Midshipman Edward Young was also well connected and was devoted to Christian, whom he succeeded as leader; reckless Jack Adams, later to become Patriarch of Pitcairn, was a Cockney orphan; Mills, Brown, Martin and Williams were killed by the Polynesians within four years of arrival; and of the other two, the Scotsman William McCoy and the Cornishman Matthew Quintal little good can be said, except that they were neither better nor worse than the average seaman of the time.

  "On arrival the mutineers made themselves rough leaf- shelters where the village of Adamstown now stands, but the tiny community did not settle down without friction and, indeed, murder. The Tahitians were treated more as slaves than as fellow human beings and their revolt led to the slaying of some of the mutineers and, finally, to their own deaths. By 1794 only Young, Adams, Quintal and McCoy remained of the male settlers, leading households of ten women and children.

  Sinclair looked directly at Chip, when he spoke about how the Tahitians were treated, and Chip visibly flinched at the word "murder," as if he had been struck.

  "The next four to five years were peaceful except for occasional outbreaks by the women, including an abortive attempt by some to leave the island. Gradually the men and women grew reconciled to their lives and to each other, and all might have remained harmonious had not McCoy, who had once worked in a distillery, discovered how to brew a potent spirit from the roots of the ti plant. By 1799, Quintal had been killed by Young and Adams in self-defense, and McCoy had drowned himself. Then, in 1800, Young died of asthma, leaving John Adams as the sole male survivor of the party that had landed just ten years before."

  Ericsson was thinking about what Sinclair had told them, and he realized that his own crew of men and women had much in common with these first mutineers. They even had their own inebriate, Charles McCord, and so John made a mental note to keep his Irish draftsman away from any distilling devices on their island.

  "As leader of the community of ten Polynesian women and twenty-three children, the former able seaman, John Adams, showed himself to be as capable, kind and honest as he had formerly been loyal and helpful to Christian and Young.

  "Each family had its own house and most, but not all, of them were within the village, planned in English style around a common and fenced to keep the chickens in and the hogs out. Solidly built of local timber, some of them with bedrooms on a second floor, the island homes owed little to Polynesia except their thatched roofs.

  "The women had brought their own utensils from Tahiti, which were handed down from mother to daughter, and the men landed tools and other implements from the Bounty and fashioned more as necessary. Food cooked in Polynesian stone- lined ovens, consisting mainly of yams, taro and bananas with coconut cream and an occasional pig, bird or goat was in Polynesian style, served twice a day, at noon and nightfall. Clothes were at first made out of sail cloth from the Bounty, but they were later replaced by loin cloths and skirts of tapa, the traditional Polynesian fibre cloth. In brief, European and Polynesian ways mingled in complete isolation from the rest of the world."

  "You see, gentlemen? The inventiveness of these settlers was key to their survival!" Ericsson pointed out, lighting up his own pipe and puffing away like a locomotive. "Continue, Captain, this is all quite interesting indeed."

  Walter motioned for Greene to take the helm, which the young man did, and then Sinclair sat down at the chart table's chair to address them with his full attention.

  "John Adams was no scholar. He read with difficulty and could hardly write, but he was essentially a gentle man who humbly discharged his responsibility for the community he headed. Such was his manner that all took pleasure in obeying his example, which he patterned on virtue and piety and regulated by the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, on Sunday services, family prayers and grace before and after every meal. And to ensure everybody's well-being, Adams saw to it that the young people cultivated the land,
cared for the stock and were not allowed to marry until they could support a family."

  Walter Sinclair had told his story to this point with some amount of satisfaction. He was pleased with what Adams had accomplished, and that's why he remembered. Adams was a man, like himself, who was almost illiterate, but who had understood the simple skills of human survival. Walter also believed his own survival skills were going to prove just as important to their expedition on Easter Island, despite the two Union "inventors" and their brash little darkie.

  "What happened to them next?" asked Chip, as his dark eyes had been riveted on the tall Captain as he told his tale. Chip's own reflections were about how he would fit into their own island life in the near future.

  "As he grew old, Adams worried about the future of his flock, but his appeals to the British Government and missions for a successor to lead and educate them were not met, and it was to voluntary exiles that succession fell.

  "The first was John Buffett, a shipwright from Bristol who landed with John Evans, a Welshman, in 1823. Both married island girls and founded families, and Buffett taught the children and took over the church services.

  "The population had now risen to 66 from the 35 of 17 years earlier, and Adams, believing the land was yielding less, seeing the supply of timber decreasing and concerned that the erratic water supply would be insufficient for the growing population, sought the community's removal to Australia.

  "Meantime, in 1828, another settler arrived. George Nobbs, alleged to be the illegitimate son of a marquis, was well educated and had served both in the British and Chilean Navies. He was a strong character and soon ousted Buffett from the role of schoolmaster and pastor. Then, in March 1829, John Adams, venerable and corpulent, died at the age of 62. He left behind a community which, though it originated in mutiny and had suffered misery and murder, was to form the basis of countless future sermons. The dramatic regeneration was virtually Adams' work alone, and he was mourned as 'Father', the name by which he had been known to every member of the community."

  To Sinclair, this was the end of the story. Anything that followed the death of John Adams was anti-climactic at the least.

  "Well? What happened after Adams passed on?" Greene asked.

  "I really don't know. I wasn't interested in what more this Mister George Nobbs had to tell me. Besides, we left the next morning to continue our voyage." Ericsson cleared his throat and hit his pipe against the side of his palm to empty the burnt tobacco. "I will inquire as to the rest of this history as soon as we dock tomorrow morning. We can learn from their history, and this story is not half told. You must not be so eager to resolve things, Walter, as we shall have a long time to plan our new civilization. I want to have as much information I can get to do the planning."

  I can do the planning, thought Walter, in disgust. What gives you the right to do our planning, old man? We’ll see who leads the survivalists on Easter Island. Inventions of yours will do little good when it comes to establishing a daily routine. It shall be me, Captain Walter Sinclair, who will take on the role of John Adams for our little group!

  Dana Greene stretched his arms out wide and yawned. "I don't know about you, fellows, but I'm going to turn in. Wake me for the next watch, Captain," he told Sinclair.

  "Right," said Walter, as he took the helm back from the young lieutenant. You need to be awakened from your dreams, all right! Sinclair thought, as he watched the dark ocean swell before him, like an invitation to adventure. We’ll see who shall be king of Easter Island!

  Chapter Fifty-Two: The History of Pitcairn

  May 25, 1863

  When they all arrived at Adamstown, the women were so overjoyed to at last have access to a proper bath that they did not hesitate to ask to use the facilities. Mr. and Mrs. Young, who were the leaders of the small group living on the island, escorted the three women to a sheltered, palm frond covered shack where there was a tub installed. Hot water was brought in to allow the women, one by one, to enter the tub and clean themselves with the tallow soap made from coconut milk and pig fat. "This tub was on board the H.M.S. Bounty when it arrived here in 1790. Before the ship was burned, the survivors brought this tub and many other supplies on shore," Mayhew Young explained, motioning for two of his sons to fetch the hot water. "We hope you ladies enjoy your bath. I'll return with some of your towels. It was so very kind of you to bear these as gifts for our small community. When we arrived here from Norfolk Island, we discovered there was no cloth at all on the island, and the French had been here during our evacuation years. We have not had cloth material since 1856."

  John Ericsson was discussing the recent history of Pitcairn Island with Moses Young, the other leader of the small group of 16 who now lived there. Ericsson believed he had much to learn from this group, as they had decided to return to Pitcairn after only two years living on Norfolk Island, 3,300 miles west of Pitcairn.

  "By 1850, the population was 156 and increasing rapidly. Our friends in England and the Pacific were again discussing the question of emigration, for it was feared that land would soon become insufficient, and fish had deserted the coastal waters since the landslides caused by the great storm of 1845. As we did not wish to experience the devastation of our emigration to Tahiti in 1831, when we lost 10 of our tribe to disease, we decided that an uninhabited island would be much more suitable to our needs. Thus, as the British Government had recently decided that Norfolk Island could no longer serve as a penal colony, we were told that we could use the island for our new home."

  "What do you suppose caused your discomfort in Tahiti? I would think being with a larger community would be invigorating," said Ericsson, seeing his own group's situation as analogous, as they were also headed to a native community of Polynesians who were not used to having outsiders in their midst.

  Moses, who was obviously the group's historian, responded with some admirable examples. "Queen Pomare IV and her people treated the Pitcairn Islanders with great generosity and kindness. Land was made available for the islanders to build their own homes and a large house was offered for their temporary lodging in Papeete. The Pitcairners, however, did not feel at home and could not adjust to this different way of life. We had become on the one hand too European in our ways and, on the other, stricter in morals and sexual behavior than our hosts. We longed to return to our own habits in our own island, all the more so when infectious diseases, to which we had little immunity, began to kill us."

  "Ah, I see! No immunity from the diseases of these Tahitians was your ultimate downfall," Ericsson said, all the while thinking about how his own group would fare on their own island retreat.

  "Yes, disease was quite devastating to the group. On 21 April, within a month of arrival in Tahiti, Thursday October Christian I, the son of Fletcher Christian, the first child born on Pitcairn, died. His death was followed by the youngest, Lucy Anne Quintal, and during the next two months there were 10 more deaths and only a single birth. Attempts to arrange for their return to Pitcairn failed, until Captain William Driver of the Salem whaler Charles Doggett arrived at Papeete and offered to take the remaining 65 survivors back to their island home for $500. The local community immediately organized a subscription; the Pitcairn Islanders, anxious to return, contributed to this by selling blankets and other necessities. Captain Driver sailed with them from Papeete on 14 August 1831, and reached Pitcairn on 3 September."

  Ericsson realized that he would have to invent some way to protect his group from the diseases of Easter Island. But first, he needed more information. "Did the Pitcairn Islanders eat and socialize with the natives while they lived there?" he asked, as an idea was beginning to hatch in his brain.

  "Why, yes. We learned to eat together in their ritual and sacred meals. We have a copy of James Morrison's book about the religious customs among the Tahitians. He was the Boatswain's Mate aboard the Bounty, and he chose to stay in Tahiti after the crew mutinied, and Fletcher Christian and his group continued on to Pitcairn. I'll let you read our co
py. It was given to us by a visiting American whaler by the name of Paul Sanderson." Moses Young extracted a black, wide, and hand-written journal from the shelf behind him and handed it to Ericsson. "Take care, Captain, as this contains important information about the sacred rituals of Tu Nui e A'a i Te Atua, King Pomare I, paramount chief of the Pare-Aue region. I shall require its return before you leave the island."

  "Certainly, sir!" Ericsson said, standing up. "I believe we should find the others now and take your guided tour of this island. We would enjoy hearing about how you were able to survive after your return from Norfolk Island. We can learn a lot from you, I am certain."

  "I'll do my best to inform you, Captain. We get so few visitors; it is an honor to share pleasantries with you."

  Outside the hut where the women were bathing, two boys, of about ten and twelve years of age, were peeking inside the bath chamber from between wooden planks. As Anna Cameron-Greene was lowering her naked form into the tub, she spotted them, and she screamed. The boys ran from the hut, more frightened than Anna, and this was the end of the bathing for the three women. They later met with the men inside the dining room next to the Young's shack, which stood next to the tallest palm tree on the island. It overlooked the bay and was sheltered by the rising hills of Adamstown.

  For dinner that evening, the guests from the Caine were fed sea bass and pork in the conventional European manner, with dishes and cutlery given to the islanders as gifts from shipwrecked sailors who wanted to show their gratitude. Moses Young pointed out that they were able to survive from these gifts because there were many shipwrecks on the treacherous reefs surrounding Pitcairn, and the Pitcairn Islanders used their two longboats to rescue the survivors and bring them ashore. The community fed and clothed the shipwrecked sailors who, after they returned home to relate their adventure, rewarded their rescuers with gifts of crockery, clothes, flour, books and even an organ.