The Tuamotu Islands and Tahiti
Volume 4 of Russia and the South Pacific, 1696-1840
Description
The final volume in the quartet of books on the naval, scientific, and
social activities of the Imperial Russian Navy in the South Pacific,
this book focuses on the expeditions to Tahiti and the dangerous atoll
chains to its east, known as the Tuamotus. Under the command of
Captains Otto von Kotzebue and F.Fellingshausen, expedition members
were the first to chart several of the Tuamotu islands. They also
theorized correctly about coral reef and atoll formation, botanized,
and collected ethnographica in a systematic way.
Reviews
The text, while full of detail for the specialist is eminently readable ... Barratt’s commentary and summary provide an essential framework and background for understanding the place of this expedition in the wider story of Pacific exploration ... This is an impressive contribution to the history of the South Pacific. Thanks to Barratt’s work of translation and his perspicuous style, that record is now available to the wider audience it deserves. The book is an essential addition to libraries in New Zealand.
- John Beaglehole
The Tuamotu Islands and Tahiti is thoroughly researched and well written. The Russians who sailed in the South Seas emerge as skilful sailors, accomplished scientists and very decent men. Their records convey an attitude towards indigenous peoples far more sympathetic than many of the Europeans. Professor Barratt's work makes their story accessible and entertaining for a wide audience.
- Judith Ball Bruce
Barratt's approach is to provide a detailed historical summary of the voyages, astonishing for their scholarly detail and evident mastery of the overall picture of Pacific history, and then the transformation of the key journals of the voyages.
- Victor Suthren