Title: David Whippy of Nantucket
Description: In 1825 the young David Whippy, a native of Nantucket, found himself stranded on Bau Island, the home of the most powerful chief in the Fiji Islands. Unlike many of his contemporaries who returned to their homes, David chose to stay and carve out a life for himself in a land which was slowly coming to grips with the complexities of the interaction between these two very different cultures. David was a worldbridger: he moved easily between the worlds of the European traders who came to Fiji in search of lucrative cargoes, and the world of his adopted people, the Fijians. As a result of his sobering influence, business acumen, and vision, his new home of Levuka became the main port of call for trading vessels, whaling ships, and foreign naval gunships. The infrastructure that he and his associates evolved, ranging from providing pilots and interpreters to the building of small boats and schooners, made Levuka a commercial port and laid the foundations for the town to become the first capital of Fiji in 1874. Set against the background of the complex Fijian politics of the period, this book explores David's life, both public and private, over those vital years, culminating in his death in 1871, three years before the Cession of the Islands to Great Britain. The book also includes genealogical information for the benefit of his descendants.
Subjects: Family, Boatyards, Whaling ships, Social conditions, History
Places: Fiji, Levuka, Massachusetts, Nantucket, Levuka (Fiji)
People: David Whippy (1802-1871)
Time periods: 19th century