Harry J. Moors (1854-1926) was born in Detroit and died in Apia, Western Samoa. As an agent for the Hawaiian Board of Immigration, he made several voyages to the Gilbert Islands [Kiribati] and Marshall Islands around 1880 to recruit labourers for Hawaii's sugar plantations. In 1883, he settled in Apia, Western Samoa, and became a successful trader and planter. Moors was closely associated with Robert Louis Stevenson during the novelist's five years (1889-1894) in Samoa and in 1910 he published a book of reminiscences entitled 'With Stevenson in Samoa'. Moors stated in that book that Stevenson had once urged him to write down some of the 'wonderful stories' he had related to Stevenson about his early career. Moors acted on this encouragement, and after Stevenson died, he wrote two novels, of which 'Tapu: A Tale of Adventure in the South Seas' is one. Neither of the novels was published. See also the Bureau's newsletter 'Pambu', September 1968:4

The novel is based on Moors' experiences in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands as a labour recruiter for the Hawaiian Board of Immigration. The title page states that it is from the diary of John T. Bradley. Preface by Arthur Mahaffy.

Alden was an officer in the sloop-of-war 'Vincennes', the flagship of the United States Exploring Expedition which spent four years in the Pacific under the command of Commodore Charles Wilkes.

The journal gives an account - but not a day-by-day account - of the Vincennes voyage which took in the Tuamotu Archipelago, Tahiti, Samoa, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, the Antarctic, Hawaii, the Gilbert (Kiribati), Ellice (Tuvalu) and Marshall Islands. See also PMB MS 124-146 and the Bureau's newsletter, Pambu, Dec. 1971:25, pp. 4-7.

Sir Arthur Grimble went to the Gilbert Islands (Kiribati) as a cadet administrative officer in 1914 and became Resident Commissioner in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony in 1925 - 1933. He was posted to the West Indies in 1936, retiring 1948. Grimble died in London on December 13, 1956. Grimble devoted much of his spare time in the Gilberts to collecting the myths, legends and oral traditions of the local people. Those recorded on this microfilm were collected between about 1916 and 1930.

Gilbertese myths, legends and oral traditions (643 pages). A detailed list appears at the beginning of the microfilm. It includes creation myths, voyaging tales, songs, especially of ancient voyages and war, spells and witchcraft practices.
See Finding aids for details.

Please see PMB MS 493 for full entry.

Newspaper clippings, official printed documents and typescripts on the Pacific phosphate industry. Largely associated with mining in Kiribati and Nauru. See also PMB MS 14, 480-495.