Human History

In French

Polynesia

One of the most useful books of Pacific Islands reference to appear in recent years is

Tahiliens by that indefatigable

researcher and author Patrick

O’Reilly, assisted by Raoul

Tessier.

THE book, in French, contains the biography virtually of every man and woman—European, Polynesian or Asian—who has lived long enough in French Polynesia, to have made a mark on the country, from the arrival of Wallis in 1767, up to the present day.

It is therefore more than a “Who’s Who” of French Polynesia—it is also a list of biographies, and a carefully documented history of the territory.

It is replete with indexes and chrono logies. It is, in fact, a book which will be a “must” in the library of any student of the South Pacific Islands.

For example, it contains a full history of the royal Pomare family, and of George Pritchard, the LMS missionary who wrecked his career on the Pomare troubles. We are told about Gauguin, and Pierre Loti, and Nordhoff and Hall, and other artists who lived there and won fame.

One is given the story of that Wil liam Stewart who pioneered cotton and introduced the Chinese; and of the Abbe Rougier, who founded a coconut empire.

There is an account of the famous Bambndge family, and the bio graphies of Thomas (1801-1879) (1859-1898), George (188?: lal a^ d Anton y> Antony Junior and Rudi, all very much alive.

Just to show how complete the re tiZt 'r / hei S is . the stor y of that tiirud John Hams, who was taken tlf? e . mi f 10n . ship Dl, tt to be an LMS teacher in the Marquesas in 1897, and who bolted back onto the „ stayed there—after one women 3 ” 0 " 8 ‘ he iS ' and ’ S untamed TTiere is a place for that hard- Alfred* Tah'tian leader, Senator p™ P , oro >; and for the unfortunate a / )o Pa, who has been banished m France; and for John Adams of the Bounty.

Biographies can be boring; but this is a fascinating book for those who know anything of the history o/p^ly 0 Patrick O’Reilly has given us simi

lady valuable works on New Cale donia and New Hebrides; but this last one must represent more than

usually painstaking research.

(TAHITIENS. Repertoire bio-bibllo grapnique de la Polynesie Francalse: by Ra J™k ?’ R l illy and Raoul Teissier.

Published by Societe des Oceanistes, Musee de I’Homme, Paris.)