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Oceania - The Robert Louis Stevenson Collection

Robert Louis Stevenson was the most famous "palagi"(white man) to find his way to Samoa where he is held dearly in Samoan memories. Stevenson wrote the following poignant elegy, engraved on one face of his tomb which ends with the following lines.

Author:Jane RestureOct 14, 2022
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Robert Louis Stevenson was the most famous "palagi"(white man) to find his way to Samoa where he is held dearly in Samoan memories. Stevenson wrote the following poignant elegy, engraved on one face of his tomb which ends with the following lines:
And the hunter home from the hill.
Home is the sailor, home from the sea,
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Robert Louis Stevenson's tomb lies atop Mount Vaea on Upolu, Samoa.
During the late 19th century, Robert Louis Stevenson traveled extensively throughout the islands of the Pacific.
He made a photographic record of his journeys which have encapsulated life in the Pacific Islands at this time.
The images below are of some of the people that Stevenson met during his journey.
Left: King Mataafa of Samoa. Right: King Mataafa's rival, Tamasese
Left: King Mataafa of Samoa. Right: King Mataafa's rival, Tamasese
Left: King Mataafa's natural daughter. Right: Queen Vaekehu and her adopted daughter.
Left: King Mataafa's natural daughter. Right: Queen Vaekehu and her adopted daughter.
Princess Ka'iulani of Hawaii
Princess Ka'iulani of Hawaii
Gilbertese (Kiribati) woman preparing poi-poi (babai)
Gilbertese (Kiribati) woman preparing poi-poi (babai)
Harem and little son of Tem Binoka on board the Equator passing from Aranuka to Abemama
Harem and little son of Tem Binoka on board the Equator passing from Aranuka to Abemama
Interior of the maneaba of Tem Binoka's harem
Interior of the maneaba of Tem Binoka's harem
Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson with Nan Tok and Nei Takauti at Butaritari, Kiribati
Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson with Nan Tok and Nei Takauti at Butaritari, Kiribati
"God's sweetest work - Polynesians"
"God's sweetest work - Polynesians"
Samoan Island belles
Samoan Island belles
Marshall Islands canoe
Marshall Islands canoe
Jane Resture

Jane Resture

Author
Since she embarked on her first world trip in 2002, Jane Resture spent the past decades sharing her personal journey and travel tips with people around the world. She has traveled to over 80 countries and territories, where she experienced other cultures, wildlife she had only read about in books, new foods, new people, and new amazing experiences. Jane believes that travel is for everyone and it helps us learn about ourselves and the world around us. Her goal is to help more people from more backgrounds experience the joy of exploration because she trusts that travel opens the door to the greatest, most unforgettable experiences life can offer and this builds a kinder, more inclusive, more open-minded world.
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