Dr William Henry Harvey was a botanist, becoming professor and chair of Botany at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, from 1856 until his death in 1866.

The letters, four in number, give vivid accounts of Dr Harvey's visits to Tonga and Fiji in the latter half of 1855 during the course of a world tour. The letters are addressed to Harvey's sister Hannah (Mrs Hannah Harvey Todhunter) and his niece Mary (Mary Christy Harvey). Dr Harvey was particularly interested in algae; but he also investigated other aspects of the natural history of Tonga and Fiji, and wrote at length of a religious revival in Tonga and cannibalism in Fiji. (Twenty-six other letters of Dr Harvey, dealing with other aspects of his world tour, which took in Gilbraltar, Malta, Ceylon, Australia and New Zealand, are deposited in the library of Trinity College, Dublin). See also the Bureau's newsletter PAMBU, March 1968: 8, pp.1-4.

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.

A catalogue of the ethnographic items collected by the United States Exploring Expedition to the Pacific (1838-42) led by Commodore Charles Wilkes. The Expedition visited the Tuamotu Islands, Tahiti (in French Polynesia), Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Lord Howe Island, Australia, New Zealand/Aotearoa, Gilbert Islands (Kiribati), Marshall Islands, and Hawaii. The catalogue was prepared in 1846 by Titian Ramsay Peale, an artist-naturalist with the Expedition. A typescript version, prepared by the PMB, follows the original document on the microfilm. See also the Bureau's newsletter, Pambu, October-December 1971:25, pp. 4-7 and PMB MS 89 and MS 146.

The Manuscript Mission Histories are, in fact, mainly collections of chronologically arranged newspaper clippings, with some typescript entries, concerning the work of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Pacific Islands. The histories cover the following territories and periods: French Polynesia (1849-1959), Hawaii (1850-1959), Samoa (1871-1959), Tonga (1891-1959).

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

The papers comprise:

1. 'Conference Avec Projections sur le Vicariat de l'Oceanie Centrale' (ts 13pp)
2. Marine et Colonies, Division Navale de l'Ocean Pacifique, Exercice 1886 (Invoices for missionary travel expenses)
3. 'Explication du blason de Tonga', n.d.
4. 'Kingdom of Tongatabu' (Map)
5. Movement of the Catholic population in the Apostolical Vicariat of Central Oceania (Graph)
6. 'Chronology of the Vicariate Apostolic of Tonga' (ts)
7. 'Traditions Tongiennes' (70pp)
8. 'Pungalototioa et Munimatamabae'
9. 'Government Gazette', Nuku'alofa, 4 November 1876
10. An historical account and chronologies of Tonga, New Zealand, the New Hebrides, Wallis and Futuna (tss) - filed under 'OT 200 Historia'
11. Histories, filed under 'OT 202 Narrationes'
12. Correspondence, 1874-8, 1852-3, 1869, 1859, 1845, 1842-04, filed under 'OT 208 Epistolae variae'
13. List of letters from 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).

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.

Papers relating to the reign of King George Tupou II of Tonga. The papers are in files labelled as follows: 1. Premier's Department, Correspondence 1905; 2. Royal Correspondence 1906; 3. Premier's Department Correspondence 1907; 4. Consular Correspondence 1907; 5. Royal Correspondence 1907; 6. Correspondence relating to government departments 1907; 7. Royal Correspondence 1908; 8. Consul-Premier Correspondence 1908; 9. Premier's Department - Outward 1908; 10. Premier's Department - Inward 1908-09.