Journal of William Ellis: A Narrative of an 1823 Tour of Hawaii

Meet important historical figures, such as Liholiho, Kuakini and John Young. Witness, first hand, historical events, such as the death of Captain Cook, the battles of Kamehameha the Great and the explosive eruptions of Kilauea.

William Ellis’ classic of Pacific literature, A Narrative of a Tour Through Hawai‘i, stands unrivalled as an account of Hawaiian life in the early nineteenth century. With his close interest in native life, his sympathy for a people undergoing vast social change and his keen eye for accurate detail, Ellis was not the typical missionary of Western visitor to the islands. Always the ethnologist, Ellis packs his narrative with vital information for students of traditional Hawai‘i, and takes readers back in time to witness a vanished age.

Author: William Ellis