To 1969, Improvement Era was being published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City.

The articles mainly concern the work of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Pacific Islands. The church was largely active in the period in French Polynesia, including Tahiti, Tuamotu Islands and Tubuai, as well as being active in the Hawaiian Islands, Samoa and Tonga. For other publications by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints see also PMB 112 for Juvenile Instructor; and PMB 113 for Contributor.

This book is not only rare, but also has been printed on very weak paper. The copy held in the Baker Papers (PMB 1203/227) is disintegrating. The copy held by the National Library of Australia, microfilmed here, is in better condition but the paper is very fragile and has cracked in several places. Other surviving copies are also likely to be deteriorating due to the poor quality of the paper. The PMB also has available a digital version of Baker’s Tongan Vocabulary, scanned from this microfilm, converted to text, and searchable.

Baker’s English and Tongan Vocabulary consists of the following parts:
Preface
List of abbreviations
English-Tongan Vocabulary, pp.1-133.
Tongan – English Vocabulary, pp.1-206.
List of Idiomatic Phrases, pp.207-209.
Errata, p.210.
Addenda, p.211.
List of Pronouns Omitted, p.211.
Grammar of the Tongan Language, pp.1-42.

Papers relating to the reign of King George Tupou II of Tonga. The papers are in files labelled as follows: 1. Customs Audit, 1886-93; 2. Royal Correspondence, 1893-98, including newspaper clippings; 3. Premier's Department Correspondence, 1894-97; 4. Court Proceedings, 1895; 5. Premier's Department Correspondence, 1898; 6. Royal Correspondence, 1900; 7. Premier's Department Correspondence, 1900; 8. Premier's Department Correspondence, 1901; 9. Royal and consular Correspondence, 1901; 10. Correspondence, 1902; 11. Correspondence, 1903; 12. Royal Correspondence, 1904; 13. Premier's Department Correspondence, 1904; 14. Royal Correspondence, 1904-05.

Please see PMB MS 191. These papers form part of the records of the Vicariate of Tonga which are designated Oceania Tonga (OT) in the Marist Archives.

Letters from missionaries in Tonga to Marist headquarters in France. Correspondents include Fathers Reiter, Chevron, Remy, Castagnier, Loyer, Olier, O'Dwyer, Guitta, Petelo, Young, Thomas, Berger, O'Connor, Doizy, Maussey and Kervegan.

Items on Pacific Islands from the minutes and reports of the annual general conferences (1879-1964) of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Missionaries and the Church were active in French Polynesia at the time, including Tahiti, Tubuai, and the Tuamotu Islands, as well as being active in the Hawaiian Islands, Samoa and Tonga.

Please see PMB MS 191. These papers form part of the records of the Vicariate of Tonga which are designated Oceania Tonga (OT) in the Marist Archives.

Correspondence - 1870 - 1883 - filed under 'OT 208 Epistolae 1865-72' (SIC).

The articles mainly concern Hawaii, the Society Islands in French Polynesia, New Zealand/Aotearoa, Samoa, Tonga, Pitcairn Island and Fiji. The Juvenile Instructor was published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City. For other publications of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints see also PMB 110 for Improvement Era; and PMB 113 for Contributor.

Letters to Catholic missionaries at Rotuma from Bishops Bataillon, Elloy and Lamaze and Father V-F. Poupinel, written from Apia (Samoa), Tonga, Wallis, Futuna, Sydney and France. A typed summary in English of the contents of each letter is given at the beginning of the film.

The logbooks cover voyages in the ships 'Laughing Water' (1868), 'Corypheus' (1870-71), 'Day Spring' (1872), 'Alsager' (1872-73) and 'Ceara' (1874). The voyages in the 'Laughing Water' were between Newcastle, Lyttleton (NZ) and Melbourne. Those in the 'Corypheus' between Melbourne and China. On her last voyage the 'Corypheus' ran aground on a reef in the Marshall Islands and the crew sailed 3,000 miles in the ship's boats to Rockhampton. The voyage of the 'Day Spring' was from Melbourne to the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) and return. The 'Alsager' sailed from Melbourne to Malden Island for a cargo of guano. She foundered off Tongatapu, apparently as a result of sabotage. The 'Ceara's' voyages were from Adelaide to Mauritius and then to various Australian ports.