Martin, John: [Mariner, William]:

$600 · Offered by William Reese Company

AN ACCOUNT OF THE NATIVES OF THE TONGA ISLANDS, IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN. COMPILED AND ARRANGED FROM THE EXTENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS OF MR. WILLIAM MARINER, SEVERAL YEARS RESIDENT IN THOSE ... First American edition, from the second London edition of 1818 (first published in London the year before). "Mariner set sail in 1805 on a voyage to South America and the South Seas with two purposes - whaling and attacking Spanish shipping. The crew of the Port au Prince mutinied in the Tonga Islands, but were murdered by natives. Young Mariner was fortunate in being taken prisoner and adopted as the King's son; he lived on the islands for four years. His work contains a very interesting account of contemporary life in Tonga, of the customs of the inhabitants and their inter-island wars, and also examples of Tongan songs and music. Dr. Martin befriended the young British sailor and recorded this account of his experiences" - Hill. The frontispiece is a detailed engraving of Mr. Mariner in the dress of the Tonga Islands. Also includes a list of terms in the Tongan language, a section on "songs and music of the Tonga people" with four pages of printed music, and an important early appendix "on the surgical skills of the Tonga people," with references to similar practices in Hawaii.

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