Scope and Contents
The album, 10½'' x 12'' (c. 1930), contains four pages of text describing how, on his arrival in England, Brewster tried to discover what had become of the war club of King Thakombau (Cakobau), located among the historical treasures at Windsor Castle. He paraphrases the 'long typewritten disquisition' of 'a native gentleman of Mbau' on 'The legend of King Thakombau's clubs'. The text is preceded by four inserted photographs, taken 1871-1883, of King Thakombau (2), his war club and the Royal Arms and Motto of Fiji. At the end of the volume is a facsimile of 'A bill granting His Majesty certain duties, taxes and assessment and for securing the public revenues', 1872. On a loose piece of card is a small painting of the Fijian Royal Standard and Ensign.
Dates
- Creation: 1871 - 1930
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
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Biographical / Historical
Adolf Brewster Brewster (1854-1937), formerly Adolf Brewster-Joske, went to Fiji in 1870 with a group of settlers granted land with the Polynesia Company. He entered the Colonial Service after the plantations failed, and remained in Fiji until 1910, when he retired to England. He published two books, 'The hills tribes of Fiji' (1922) and 'King of the Cannibal Isles' (1937), the latter of which discussed King Thakombau (1817-1883), Chief of the Fiji Islands.
Extent
1 volume(s) (1 volume) : paper/photograph
Language of Materials
English
Former / Other Reference
MSS 91
Other Finding Aids
MSS Addenda, vol. III.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Presented by the Revd Dr D.P. Brewster, great-nephew of Adolf Brewster Brewster, October 1995.
General
This collection level description was created by RAS using information from the original typescript catalogue.
Originator(s)
Brewster, Adolf Brewster, 1854-1937, anthropologist
Subject
Geographic
- Date
- 2004-02-18 09:56:41+00:00
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Cambridge University Library Repository
Cambridge University Library
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Cambridge CB3 9DR United Kingdom
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all other enquiries: mss@lib.cam.ac.uk