The Rev. Joseph Johnston (1814-1892) left England for Tahiti as a missionary of the London Missionary Society in the ship 'Camden' in April 1838. He reached Tahiti in the following March, and served there until late 1849. In Tahiti he married Miss Harriet Platt, daughter of the Rev. George Platt. After his return to England in May 1850, he went to Fremantle, Western Australia, as a Congregational minister. He died there in 1892.

The microfilm contains the following documents:

• Diary kept in the Camden en route to Tahiti, 26 April-28 October 1838.
• A history and impression of Tahiti, with a narrative of the voyage in the Camden, 1838.
• Diaries kept in Tahiti, 8 November -14 December 1838; 28 May-6 November 1839; and 6 January-30 December 1840.
• Diary kept in the Camden during a tour of LMS mission stations in the Pacific, 16 March-19 July 1842.
• Diaries kept in Tahiti 2 March-26 March and 11 April-26 May 1839.
• Diaries kept in Tahiti, on return voyage to England, on voyage to Western Australia, and in Western Australia, July 1844-August 1852.
• Diaries kept in England, on voyage to Western Australia and in Fremantle, 1852-55, 1864-68, 1869-71.
• Letter from Johnston to Mr Gallop, dated Fremantle, 25 December 1884.
• Reminiscences of Mrs S.F. Moore (nee Eliza Mary Johnston), Johnston's daughter.

The 15 manuscript items on this microfilm were bought by the Territory of French Polynesia at an auction of Pacific manuscripts in Paris in June, 1969. They were formerly part of the Ropiteau-O'Reilly collection.

The 15 items are:

1. A six-page account of Tahiti by Chenard de la Giraudais, commander of 'l'Etoile', the consort of Bougainville's ship 'La Boudeuse', which visited Tahiti in April, 1768.
2. Letter written in Tahiti on February 6, 1799, by the L.M.S. missionary John Harris.
3. Journal of the missionaries Henry Nott and James Elder describing a preaching tour, Tahiti in 1802.
4. Letter from King Pomare II to the L.M.S., London, dated January 1, 1807.
5. Journal kept by the missionaries William Henry and John Davies during a preaching tour on the island of Huahine in 1809.
6. Letter from Pomare II dated September 25, 1812, to the missionaries on Moorea informing them of his determination to abandon false gods and ancient rites against evil spirits.
7. Letter from the missionaries John Williams, L.E. Threlkeld and J.M. Orsmond from Raiatea to the L.M.S. in London, dated September 5, 1819. Collective report on affairs at the missions on Raiatea and Tahaa.
8. Letter from the missionary George Platt from Bora Bora, dated May 28, 1828, describing a visit to the island of Maupiti.
9. Letter from Queen Pomare IV and her second husband Ariifaaite to the missionary Henry Nott dated February 4, 1836, asking to be readmitted to church membership.
10. Letterbook (pp71) copies of 19 letters by George Pritchard, British Consul in Tahiti - November 26 1836 to February 15 1837.
11. May 11, 1846 letter from Queen Pomare IV at Raiatea to the directors, L.M.S., stating she would never live under the French protectorate.
12. 94-page report, 'Look Again, or a few observations on the affairs of Tahiti from 1845 to 1849 by an eye-witness' by Rev. J.M. Orsmond to President of France.
13. & 14. Letters from Queen Pomare IV to President of France (August 26, 1851) re government of her country and French Governor (September 18, 1872) re funeral of her small daughter.
14. Account book 1877-1882 by Pomare V Tahiti's last king, d.1891

Captain Fowler went to the Pacific in 1868 as captain of the London Missionary Society vessel JOHN WILLIAMS III. He was dismissed in 1871 because of his treatment of Pacific Islanders. The logbook begins on 12 November 1868 when Captain Fowler left London. It continues to 25 February 1869 when the JOHN WILLIAMS III passed Jervis Bay, NSW. It resumes on 30 March 1869 when the JOHN WILLIAMS III left Sydney for a cruise to the Pacific Islands, which extended to Tahiti, back to the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) and then to Raiatea before returning to Sydney on 31 December 1869. The cruise took in Raiatea, Tahaa, Huahine, Tahiti, Mangaia, Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Niue, Pago Pago, Apia, Aneityum, Mare, Lifu, Uvea, Tubuai and Savai'i. The logbook resumes again on 4 April 1870 when the JOHN WILLIAMS III was at Huahine. Subsequent calls were made at Raiatea, Tahiti, Mangaia, Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Manihiki, Rakahanga, Pukapuka, Mitiaro, Mauke, Atiu, Tutuila, Niue, the Tokelau, Ellice (Tuvalu) and Gilbert Islands (Kiribati), the southern New Hebrides and the Loyalty Islands. The JOHN WILLIAMS III returned to Sydney on 20 December 1870. Captain Fowler returned to England in 1871 in the ship BUCKLEY CASTLE.