The legend of Mariner's cave

Young William Mariner, the cabin boy who was befriended by a Tongan chief after the British privateer Port au Prince was attacked and most of her crew murdered by the Tongans in 1806, first told the story of what became known as Mariner’s Cave in his book The Tonga Islands, published in 1817. He tells in this exciting book how he was taken into the cave by Tongan friends, who drank kava, and there told the legend of the cave.

The legend was that a tyrannical governor of Vavau had con demned a chief and his entire family to death, but one of the beautiful daughters had been rescued by a young chief, who hid her in the cave, which the chief had discovered whilst turtle hunting. Eventually he got the chance to escape to the Fiji Islands with a party of friends and their wives in a large canoe.

The young chief announced that “he should probably find a wife for himself on the way”, which was regarded as a good joke until the canoe approached the shores of the island with the secret cave and he dived into the water and disappeared.

Reports Mariner, in his book: “Everybody on board was exceedingly surprised at his strange conduct and began to think him insane: and after a little lapse of time, not seeing him come up, they were greatly alarmed for his safety, imagining a shark must have seized him. Whilst they were all in the utmost concern, debating what was best to be done . . . their wonder was increased beyond all power of expression on seeing him rise to the surface of the water, and come into the canoe with a beautiful female.”

According to the legend told to Mariner, “They arrived safe at one of the Fiji Islands, and resided with a certain chief during two years; at the end of which time, hearing of the death of the tyrant of Vavau’ the young chief returned with his wife and lived long in peace and happiness”.