ENGLISH

A Narrative of Missionary Enterprises in the South Sea Islands: With Remarks Upon the Natural History of the Islands, Origin, Languages, Traditions, and Usages of the Inhabitants

By John Williams

Book information

Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
2010
ISBN
9780511695926, 9781108008327
DOI
10.1017/CBO9780511695926
Google Books ID
7_QLQwAACAAJ
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
8 MB (8123865 bytes)
Series
Cambridge Library Collection - Religion
Edition
1
Pages
615\615
Orientation
yes
Scanned
yes
Time added
2011-08-31 04:54:40

Description

Based on John Williams' meticulous documentation of his travels, this 1837 volume offers an insight into the perilous life of a missionary in the early nineteenth century. The author, an ironmonger by trade, set sail for the South Sea Islands in 1817 with the intention of spreading the gospel and introducing modern technology to the region. As well as recounting the frequent threats to his safety from angry natives, war, natural disaster and disease, Williams provides detailed surveys of the peoples, languages and natural environment he encountered and describes with great exuberance and humour 'the impression made upon barbarous people by their first intercourse with civilised man'. Made more poignant by the author's death at the hands of cannibals just two years after the book's publication, this is an extraordinary account of the perseverance and ingenuity of a man who became a hero and martyr for the Protestant missionary movement.

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