mutiny on the Bounty (1790) among them But the rebels fell out over the women, and the mutineers killed them Peace was eventually maintained, but having learned how to distil spirits from local produce, drunkenness plagued the community, until John Adams, the last remaining mutineer, had a religious experience He started holding mass and showed leadership, bringing about some order The community developed a unique mix of Victorian and Tahitian culture, but the outside world would reach them sooner or later Ships had been sighted, some even having come ashore without contact being established An American whaling vessel, the Topaz, reported the presence of the community in 1808, but it was not until 1814 that British naval vessels visited Pitcairn They took pity on Adams, given his place in the community and his piety He had requested a resettlement of the islanders, since population growth made their resources meager Adams died in 1829, and in 1831 the entire community was moved to Tahiti There they experienced disease and discovered that their culture was too European to thrive in Tahiti That same year, they went back to Pitcairn Adams and his successors had no formal powers, but increasing interaction with the outside world exposed the need for legitimate governance A constitution was drawn up in 1838, making the islands a British colony, giving universal suffrage for the election of a chief magistrate to anyone over the age of 18 and who intended to stay on the island for more than five years A new emigration followed in 1856 because of overpopulation (193 people) on Pitcairn, this time to the Norfolk Island that was uninhabited But again some chose to return to Pitcairn, first in 1858, then in 1864 Meanwhile, visitors to Pitcairn had vandalized 291 the houses, and the gardens were overgrown Selling handicrafts to passing vessels and salvaging provided some extra income, but they could no longer trade any surplus crops for needed supplies Missionaries and sailors that the islanders had rescued offered some gifts, and Queen Victoria even sent them an organ Religion had played a prominent part in the life of the inhabitants on Pitcairn However, a visit by American Seventh-day Adventists caught them in a time of social crisis and with lack of unifying leadership, and the Anglican Church was replaced The conversion spurred social and political reform Education was improved, a newspaper was founded, and a judiciary and parliament introduced But the ill fortune that haunted the islanders since returning from Norfolk would not relent The parliament was removed, and the chief magistrate was reintroduced in 1904 In the 20th century, communications improved, with about one ship a week arriving at Pitcairn The population peaked at 233 in 1937 but had dropped to 40 by the turn of the millennium Most of those who left emigrated to New Zealand Further reading: Alexander, Caroline The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty New York: Viking, 2003; Bligh, William A Voyage to the South Sea, The Project Gutenberg EBook Available online URL: Accessed December 2005; Carlsson, Suzanne C Pitcairn Island at the Edge of Time Rockhampton, Queensland: Central Queensland Univ Press, 2000; Lummis, Trevor Pitcairn Island: Life and Death in Eden Aldershot, Hampshire, UK: Ashgate, 1997 Frode Lindgjerdet