A favorite of whaling ships in need of reprovisioning, in the mid-nineteenth century Rotuma also became a haven for runaway sailors, some of whom were escaped convicts. Some of these deserters married local women and contributed their genes to an already heterogeneous pool; others met violent ends, reportedly at one another's hands. The first recorded whaler to visit was the "Loper" in 1825. The last known whaling visit was by the "Charles W. Morgan" in 1894. Rotuma was visited as part of the United States Exploring Expedition in 1840.