Sunday, February 8, 2009

Pitcairn island answer

Hi Lorraine, hope you’re not getting too much snow, it feels like about 30 degrees here and it’s sunny and humid. The island is less than 2 miles by 1 mile and projects from the sea with cliffs or steep slopes all around, highest point is about 1100 feet. Their early history was full of violent deaths and murders after being settled by the Bounty mutineers. There were a couple of places where it was possible to go ashore, though viewed from the ship, they looked pretty rough. The islanders came on board via a large open boat which looked like it could have come from the Bounty except it was metal hulled. Current population is 54, (11 seniors, 33 adults and 9 children, youngest being about 6 months). About 15 came on board including one Pitcairn policeman, they were a mixed bunch age wise and some of them a bit short tempered, though I can’t blame them they were all but mobbed by our 600 passengers even before they got a chance to lay out their wares. I heard a rumour today that one of the passengers had walked off with a $120 model of the Bounty, without paying for it, don’t know how true it is. They have fresh water (though they depend on rain to keep it topped up), have regular telephone system, internet access, tv (CNN and a movie channel), generate their own electricity and have a school, church, museum and medical centre, though serious medical cases are shipped and flown to Tahiti and even New Zealand. Their main supplies are delivered every 3 to 4 months plus whatever they can buy from/trade with passing ships like ours. Adamstown, named after the last surviving mutineer John Adams, is the only community and sits on one of the less steep slopes facing the sea, they grow a variety of vegetables, tropical fruits, produce their own honey from bees and fish from the rocks and from their boat.
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