A Narrative of the BRITON's Voyage to Pitcairn's Island
Author
Lieutenant John Shillibeer
(British, 1786 - 1841)
Publisher
Law & Whittacker
(British, 1814 - 1822)
Date1818
Object number00006005
NameBook
MediumLeather bound boards, Ink on paper
DimensionsOverall: 219 x 142 x 21 mm
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection
Purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
DescriptionLieutenant John Shillibeer was a marine aboard HMS BRITON sent to the Pacific Ocean in 1814 to protect British shipping from American privateers during the War of 1812. His notes and drawings from the voyage were the basis of his book 'A Narrative of the BRITON's Voyage, to Pitcairn's Island; Including an Interesting sketch of the Present State of the Brazils and of Spanish South America' published after his return to England in 1815. During the voyage HMS BRITON unexpectedly came across Pitcairn Island on 17 September 1814 where the BOUNTY muntineers had settled.
HistoryHMS BRITON left England on 31 December 1813 as escort to a convoy of British merchant ships to protect them from French and American privateers, Britain being at war with both nations. On arrival in Brazil in Mach 1814 it was reassigned to the Pacific Ocean along with HMS TAGUS to help track down the American frigate ESSEX which was attacking British whalers. The BRITON and TAGUS then patrolled the coast of South America and the Pacific Islands making numerous stops including the Galápagos Islands.
In September of 1814, HMS BRITON and HMS TAGUS, came across an island that was not on their maps. After both anchoring they realized that the island was Pitcairn. This was confirmed when Lieutenant Shillibeer writes that Fletcher Christensen’s first born son, Friday Fletcher October Christensen came aboard and later confirmed that John Adams, a crew mate of Fletchers, was still alive and living on the island.
Although Schillibeer himself did not go ashore, "a source of lasting regret to me", he does recount in detail a description by a crew member who did. By this time Adams was approaching 60 years for age and "we conversed with him a long time, relative to the mutiny of the BOUNTY, and the ultimate fate of Christian. He denied being accessary to, or having the least knowledge of the conspiracy, but he expressed great horror at the conduct of Captain Bligh, not only towards his men, but officers also. I asked him if he had a desire to return to England, and I must confess his replying in the affirmative, caused me great surprize.
"He told me he was perfectly aware how deeply he was involved; that by following the fortune of Christian, he had not only sacrificed every claim to his country, but that his life, was the necessary forfeiture for such an act, and he supposed would be exacted from him was he ever to return: notwithstanding all these circumstances, nothing would be able to occasion him so much gratification as that of seeing once more, prior to his death, that country which gave him birth, and from which he had been so long estranged".
Adams, nor any other inhabitant, joined the BRITON on its return to England. It arrived there on 8 July 1815.
The BRITON was later used as a convict transport and was broken up in 1860.
SignificanceThis is a first hand account of the settlement on Pitcairn Island whilst one member of the BOUNTY'S crew, John Adams, was still alive. It gives a very sympathetic account of the inhabitants and settlement there and Shillibeer provides a detailed description of both the actual village and confirms that no one, with the exception of Adams who was reminiscing about England, wanted to leave with the BRITON.
NMC Associated/NMC Associated