fashion, while he smoothed down his bald forehead when addressed by the
officers of the _Blossom_. The little colony had now increased to about
sixty-six, including an English sailor of the name of John Buffett, who,
at his own earnest desire, had been left by a whaler. In this man the
society luckily found an able and willing schoolmaster. He instructed
the children in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and devoutly
co-operated with old Adams in affording religious instruction to the
community. The officers of the _Blossom_ went ashore, and were
entertained with a sumptuous repast at young Christian's, the table being
spread with plates, knives and forks. Buffett said grace in an emphatic
manner; and so strict were they in this respect, that it was not deemed
proper to touch a morsel of bread without saying grace both before and
after it. The officers slept in the house all night, their bedclothing
and sheets consisting of the native cloth made of the native
mulberry-tree. The only interruption to their repose was the melody of
the evening hymn, which was chanted together by the whole family after
the lights were put out; and they were awakened at early dawn by the same
devotional ceremony. On Sabbath the utmost decorum was attended to, and
the day was passed in regular religious observances.

In consequence of a representation made by Captain Beechey, the British
government sent out Captain Waldegrave in 1830, in the _Seringapatam_,
with a supply of sailors' blue jackets and trousers, flannels, stockings
and shoes, women's dresses, spades, mattocks, shovels, pick-axes,
trowels, rakes, etc. He found their community increased to about
seventy-nine, all exhibiting the same unsophisticated and amiable
characteristics as we have before described. Other two Englishmen had
settled amongst them; one of them, called Nobbs, a low-bred, illiterate
man, a self-constituted missionary, who was endeavoring to supersede
Buffett in his office of religious instruction. The patriarch Adams, it