Book

An account of the natives of the Tonga islands, in the South Pacific ocean: with an original grammar and vocabulary of their language

J. Murray • London • Published In 1818 • Pages:

By: Mariner, William, Martin, John.

Abstract

William Mariner, a young captain's clerk on a British privateering ship, was spared when the ship was attacked by the natives of the Tonga Islands. He spent the next four years (1806-1810) living among the natives and participating in their activities. Mariner was taken under the wing of Finau, a powerful warlord, who figured prominently in the revolution which took place during the early years of the 19th century. This document is volume I of the account of Mariner's experience and it deals mostly with events which took place during his stay, such as the revolution and inter-island warfare. Mariner seems to have been exceptionally observant and unbiased considering the circumstances.

HRAF PubDate

2006

Region

Oceania

Sub Region

Polynesia

Document Type

Book

Evaluation

Creator Type

Foreign Resident

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Marlene Martin; John Beierle; 1977-1978

Field Date

1806-1810

Coverage Date

1806-1810

Coverage Place

Tonga

Notes

Comp. and arr. from the extensive communications of Mr. William Mariner, several years resident in those islands. By John Martin

Mariner's activities have been indexed for Aftermath of Combat (727). Please consult the Culture Summary: Tonga for further indexing decisions for this document. Mariner was under the mistaken impression that Finau was the 'king' or Tui Kanokupolu. Finau, however, was nothing more than a militarily powerful island governor and hence he has been indexed for Districts (634).

[volume 1]

LCSH

Tongans