Abstract
ABSTRACT Among the pioneer missionaries sent in 1872 to the mainland of Papua (New Guinea) from the London Missionary Society base at Rarotonga (Cook Islands) was Rau of Aitutaki. His vernacular report is the earliest record written by a Pacific missionary to Papua, containing otherwise unrecorded events that complement the accounts of British missionaries. An intertextual reading clarifies the circumstances of the first mission settlement at Manumanu, countering criticisms made by Captain Moresby, and also shows that Rau acted as a spokesman and interpreter for the missionaries and was their source of various ethnographic and linguistic data. Rau's document reveals how a Pacific emissary thought, taught and acted among the Motu villages and beyond. His journal is replete with incidents and calamities, village names and populations, encounters on a voyage of exploration, and observations on the activities and status of women, creating a record of historical significance.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
