1829 POLYNESIA 1ed Missionary Ellis TAHITI South Pacific Hawaii Islands MAP 2v

1829 POLYNESIA 1^ed Missionary Ellis TAHITI South Pacific Hawaii Islands MAP 2v

“One of the earliest instances of ethnological research by a missionary, and valuable for its information on the mythology, traditions, customs of the south sea islanders” – Cox

William Ellis was a 19^th-century British missionary who is known for his voyages to South Pacific islands, Hawaii, and Madagascar. It was, however, his mission to Polynesia that proved to be his most important. In 1816, Ellis and his family were greeted by numerous tribes from various Polynesian islands. His voyage took him to Tahiti where he was able to establish churches.

His travelogue entitled “Polynesian Researches” became one of the best resources for British readers on the natural history and scenery of Polynesia. This 1829 first edition of Ellis’s account of the South Pacific is notable for both full-page and in-text illustrations – views of canoes and ships, pagan idols, portraits of chiefs, and even the highly coveted folding map of Polynesia.

Item number: #25658

Price: $995

ELLIS, William

Polynesian researches, during a residence of nearly six years in the South Sea Islands

London: Fisher, Son, & Jackson, 1829.

Details:

• Collation: Complete with all pages
  • I – xvi, 536
  • II – viii, 576
  • 10 steel-engraved plates, plus several in-text woodcuts
• References: Cox II P 502; Pacific Island Lit 100 no. 40
• Provenance: Mr. & Mrs. Wallace M. Alexander
  • Wallace M. Alexander (1869–1939) was an American heir, businessman and philanthropist. The Alexander family has exerted great influence over the history of Hawaii, beginning with Wallace M.’s grandfather, William Patterson Alexander (1805–1884), who served as an American missionary to the Kingdom of Hawaii. His father, Samuel Thomas Alexander (1836–1904), co-founded a major agricultural and transportation business, Alexander & Baldwin, which became one of the “Big Five” corporations that dominated the economy of the Territory of Hawaii. Wallace M. served as chairman of Alexander & Baldwin and as a trustee of Stanford University, as director of the California and Hawaiian Sugar Company, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
• Language: English
• Binding: Leather; tight and secure
• Size: ~8.75in X 5.5in (21.5cm x 14cm)
• Very rare and desirable with important provenance

Our Guarantee:

Very Fast. Very Safe. Free Shipping Worldwide.

Customer satisfaction is our priority! Notify us with 7 days of receiving, and we will offer a full refund without reservation!

25658