Adult Non Fiction - Primary Source account of early trader on South Pacific island . Was treated well but eventually alienated tribe and almost killed

[Shane]

The book is about a "German?" sailor who comes to live with South Pacific Islanders in the nineteenth century to trade with them. There is a scene where the chiefs daughter swims out to his boat to offer herself to him. There is another scene where the women of the island invite him to swim in their sacred pool. He is arrogant and judgmental and sours his welcome. In the end they almost kill him so he is forced to leave. Great book but cannot recall the title

[SamSpayedPI]

Are you looking for a specific book, or for any book that's about a trader on a South Pacific island?

This "Suggest books for me" folder is for people who want to read a certain type of book, and are looking for recommendations. (For example: I really loved Black Beauty; can you recommend other books told from the POV of a horse?).

The "UNSOLVED: One specific book" folder is for people who have a specific book in mind. (For example: Can you help me find a children's chapter book, read in the 1970s, told from the point of view of a London hansom cab horse?).

It seems to me you are looking for a specific book; if so, you should move this post to the "Unsolved" folder. Just ask a moderator for help if you need it.

[Shane]

Thanks... yes... UNSOLVED is where this should be

[Orsolya Könyvtáros (formerly Memp)]

Was this a book by/about Robert Dean Frisbie? His works include The Book of Puka-Puka and The Island of Desire, the story of a south sea trader.

[Shane]

No.... the author was hardly enlightened like Frisbie. He was an arrogant jerk actually ... which is part of what makes his book so fascinating. I believe he was Dutch or German... I also think the cover of the book was green. It was not a diary but a memoir and was not very long. Maybe 150 pages

[Amber (Daisymau)]

Something on this list?
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Shane]

Thanks no.... nice list... however my obsession was with first person historical narratives. I went through a phase... about several years of scouring the Strand for such books. Problem is I don't have room for them so I have them in over thirty five or forty five boxes of books in the garage. This book is among them but god knows where. I opened a few boxes but no luck. It stayed with me this crazy memoir.

[Rainbowheart]

When did you read it?

[Shane]

I read it about twenty years ago

[Rainbowheart]

The White Headhunter?

But it's not a memoir. It's a biography.

[Shane]

This sounds like a great book but is not the book I am looking for. Might just read this however. Thanks

[Orsolya Könyvtáros (formerly Memp)]

A Memory Of The Southern Seas by Louis Becke describes the author's encounters with early traders like you described. Also, this article on Becke has a lengthy bibliography and drops a lot of names of German traders in Polynesia... maybe one of them would ring a bell for you?
https://www.researchgate.net/publicat...

[Amber (Daisymau)]

Here's a list of books written by Becke

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...