book chapter

At Tonga, May-July 1777

. the voyage of the resolution and discovery, 1776-1780 • (2) • Published In 1967 • Pages: 1361-1368

By: King, James.

Abstract

This is an excerpt from the journal of Captain James King, the commander of the DISCOVERY, which accompanied the RESOLUTION, Captain Cook's ship. It is a very brief account of their three month stay in Tonga but it is especially valuable because of its early nature and because of King's description of the relations between the British and the Tongans. Because of Tongan thievery, the British resorted to shooting and flogging a number of offenders. While the chiefs appear not to have been concerned, the description reveals a rather high level of tension all around. King also briefly discusses Tongan physical appearance, canoes, marriage, and religion. He also mentions that there was a hierarchy of ranking among the nobility, among which the Tamaha had the highest rank.

HRAF PubDate

2006

Region

Oceania

Sub Region

Polynesia

Document Type

book chapter

Evaluation

Creator Types

Naval Officer

Explorer

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Martin J. Malone; 1978

Field Date

1777

Coverage Date

1777

Coverage Place

Tonga

Notes

James king

Includes bibliographical references

LCCN

56006658

LCSH

Tongans