Pitcairn Islands Trivia

1. A little Bounty trivia. What is the name of the leader of the Bounty mutiny?

From Quiz Wutawieh! A Look at Pitcairn Island

Answer: Fletcher Christian

In 1789, The Bounty was on voyage to the South Pacific in search of Breadfruit, a starchy fruit common in the South Pacific. On April 28, in response to treatment by Captain William Bligh, First Mate Fletcher Christian led a mutiny in which Bligh and 18 others were cast adrift in a 23' boat. They managed to sail back to England despite overwhelming odds, using only a sextant and a pocket watch for navigation, stopping briefly at Tofua (Tonga) and Timor (Indonesia), and arriving in England March 15, 1790. The Mutineers settled briefly in an island in Tahiti, then after fighting with natives, left with six Tahitian men and 11 Tahitian women and sought refuge on another island (Some stayed--and some of those were captured by the British who returned looking for the mutineers. They were tried, and some were hanged). They looked for a place they hoped would be isolated, passing several islands that looked too accessible. Pitcairn was ideal, as it was misplaced on navigational charts, had a very rugged terrain, and had a harbor in name only. It was, for all practical purposes, inaccessible. They settled there and immediately dismantled and burned the Bounty. The charred remains are still visible at the bottom of Bounty Bay.

From Quiz Mutiny on the Bounty and Pitcairn Island

Answer: To obtain breadfruit seedlings

The Bounty was sent to Tahiti to obtain breadfruit seedlings. The plants were to be transported to the West Indies and planted to provide food for slaves there. (The ship is also referred to as HMAV Bounty - His Majesty's Armed Vessel)

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: Pacific

These islands are located half way between New Zealand and the Americas.

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: Oeno

Pitcairn is the only one to be inhabited.

From Quiz Mutiny on the Bounty and Pitcairn Island

Answer: He was able to reach land safely and eventually returned to England

By all accounts, Bligh was a remarkable sailor and navigator. Upon being set adrift, he piloted the open launch (with 19 men in a 23 foot boat) to Tofua, in Tonga, about 30 nautical miles away. (One of the men was lost in Tofua, stoned to death by natives.) Bligh then set off for Timor. with just a sextant and a pocket watch to guide him, no compass or maps. Bligh navigated the voyage by memory. They made the trip in 48 days, a distance of 3,618 nautical miles. All the remaining men survived the journey. Many historians speak of Bligh's accomplishment with great admiration. When Bligh returned to England in 1790, there was a court martial for the loss of his vessel, and he was "honorably acquitted". Bligh would later publish accounts of his adventure, the first of hundreds of books, articles and movies written about the mutiny on the Bounty. Bligh has been portrayed as a cruel tyrant who mistreated his men. This seems to be an exaggeration, according to the ample information available on the Internet.

From Quiz Wutawieh! A Look at Pitcairn Island

Answer: Norfolk Island

By 1856, it was becoming clear that the population of Pitcairn Island was becoming too large for the amount of territory provided, and the islanders appealed to the British for help. Britain offered Norfolk Island, a former penal colony off the coast of Australia approximately 7 times the size of Pitcairn, for their use. All 194 islanders left Pitcairn on May 3 and arrived on Norfolk on June 8. The buildings from the original penal colony were left standing, and the Pitcairners adapted them to their use while they re-established their nation. In 1858, however, 17 islanders decided to return to Pitcairn, and in 1863, another 23 joined them. Interestingly enough, they found a family living on the island, an American family named "Warren", whose descendants have remained on Pitcairn (Michael Warren became Mayor in 2008, Jay Warren became Magistrate in 1991)

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: 1767

Sailors on the HMS Swallow first sighted Pitcairn but could not land due to inclement weather.

From Quiz Wutawieh! A Look at Pitcairn Island

Answer: Good Day!

Pitkern (or, as it is called on Norfolk Island, Norfuk) is evolved from 18th century English and Tahitian. Though English is spoken fluently by all residents of Pitcairn and Norfolk Islands, Pitkern is also spoken by all. There is no specific accepted spelling style for Pitkern--I have seen "Wutawieh" spelled "Wutaway you" and "Wut-a-way you" as well. It is a rather beautiful, simple language, easy to learn and pick up. Though I don't speak it or write it (largely due to the fact that I don't have any contact with any speakers), by communicating and studying online, I can read it fairly well.

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: 1790

The mutineers were led by Fletcher Christian.

From Quiz Wutawieh! A Look at Pitcairn Island

Answer: Seventh Day Adventist

Christianity has been practiced on Pitcairn Island since about 1800, when Ned Young and John Adams used the Bounty Bible to teach the Pitcairn children and rescue the society from violence and alcoholism. In the 1890s, the Seventh Day Adventist Church sent a mission to Pitcairn and since then, the SDA church has been very active in the affairs of Pitcairn. Pacific Union College in Angwin, California maintains the Pitcairn Island Study Center and has been instrumental in helping the once isolated community become more involved with the outside world.

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: around 50

From Quiz Wutawieh! A Look at Pitcairn Island

Answer: A baby was born

The Queen Elizabeth II visited Pitcairn on February 12, 2008 during its final voyage. No airplane has ever landed on Pitcairn, as there is no airstrip, and though there has been some discussion as to whether one could be built there, the terrain is rather rough and the strip would have to be very small. No head of state has ever visited Pitcairn as of 2008. Emily Rose Christian was born on Pitcairn Island on September 14, 2003 to Nadine and Randy Christian. Nadine, a native of New Zealand, decided not to return to her homeland even though most pregnant Pitcairn women go to New Zealand to give birth due to the superior medical facilities and family members living there (many Pitcairners have emigrated to New Zealand). Since then, Emily's brothers Bradley and Ryan have also been born on the island.

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: signal fires

These methods were not very effective.

From Quiz Wutawieh! A Look at Pitcairn Island

Answer: Honey

Pitcairn honey is considered among the finest in the world. Pitcairn bees are well cared for, and the isolation of the island means that they are not exposed to other breeds of bees or diseases that could adversely affect the bee population or viability.

From Quiz Mutiny on the Bounty and Pitcairn Island

Answer: English and Pitkern

Pitkern (Pitcairnese) is a combination of eighteenth century English and elements of Tahitian. Pitkern is the first language of the islanders and is taught along with English in school there. For example, in Pitkern "Foot yawly come yah?" means "Why did you come here?" "I gwen down Farder's morla." is "I'm going down to Father's place tomorrow."

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: an organ

From Quiz Wutawieh! A Look at Pitcairn Island

Answer: Arrangements made with private residents

There are no tourism facilities in Pitcairn, and in fact, getting to and from there is nearly impossible. The best way is to fly to Mangareva, in the French Society Islands (Tahiti), then hitch a ride on a passing cruise or supply ship as it goes by Pitcairn. A longboat will come out from Bounty Bay to meet the ship, pick up mail and supplies--and you. Oh, by the way, make sure all these arrangements are made well in advance. Drop-ins are not accepted. Once there, the host family you made arrangements with will host you in their home for the time you arranged for in exchange for the agreed upon payment.

From Quiz Mutiny on the Bounty and Pitcairn Island

Answer: rape

The men on Pitcairn Island were accused of raping young girls, many as young as twelve or even younger. As the story came out, it was learned that twelve was considered a suitable age for girls to be "broken in", as the practice is referred to by the Islanders. Even taking into consideration the different customs of French Polynesia, the allegations were taken very seriously. Several men, including descendants of Fletcher Christian, were finally convicted of rape and are serving terms in a jail on the island. A jail had to be constructed there specifically for the purpose of holding the accused men. Eventually, four of the accused men were convicted of several sex offenses, and were given prison sentences of from two to six years. Two of the convicted men are direct descendants of Fletcher Christian.

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: Seventh-day Adventist

100 percent of the island's inhabitants are Seventh-day Adventist.

From Quiz Wutawieh! A Look at Pitcairn Island

Answer: Territory of Great Britain governed through New Zealand

Pitcairn has a rather unique position politically. They seceded from Great Britain when the Bounty Mutiny happened, but have largely relied on Britain for its existence ever since. When England gave amnesty to John Adams they granted the island the right to exist, and further established their interest in maintaining the well-being of the island during the Norfolk relocation. The British High Commissioner to New Zealand acts as Governor and appoints a non-resident Commissioner, but day to day governance is handled by the Mayor of Pitcairn (referred to as the Magistrate until 1999) and the Island Council. While Norfolk's history is intertwined with Pitcairn's, Norfolk Island is actually a territory of Australia. For more information on Pitcairn Island, the Pitcairn Island Study Center, http://library.puc.edu/pitcairn/studycenter/index.shtml, is a great place to begin. For more serious Pitcairn interest, look into the Yahoo Group FriendsOfPitcairn.

From Quiz Mutiny on the Bounty and Pitcairn Island

Answer: Longboats pick up visitors from ship

There is no airstrip, helipad, or dock on Pitcairn that can accommodate large ships. The nearest airport is 330 miles distant. The only way to go ashore is via a small inlet called Bounty Bay. Visitors have to wait on board their cruise ship, freighter or yacht until someone from the Island arrives in a longboat or small diesel-powered boat to fetch them. The visitor must climb down a rope ladder into the small boat, which can be very difficult even when the sea is calm. The Pitcairners are skilled at bringing the boats back to shore-few people are able to maneuver a longboat through the surf as the islanders do.

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: Adamstown

Named for John Adams, one of the first settlers.

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: Britain

Pitcairn is Britain's smallest protectorate.

From Quiz Pitcairn Islands

Answer: New Zealand

The NZD (New Zealand dollar) is the currency of the islands.

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