A view in the island of Rotterdam

Title

A view in the island of Rotterdam

Description

Representation of the island Rotterdam of Tonga in Polynesia. Drawn by William Hodges, engraved from Baldwyn's ‘New System of Universal Geography.’ Published by Alexander Hogg.

ca. 1794

Artist

Hogg (1778-1824)

Alexander Hogg (1778-1824) was a publisher of books, maps and prints. He was active in London and worked under the sign of the Kings Arms in Paternoster Row. He became known for his publications of James Cook's voyages of discovery.

Historical Description

The Kingdom of Tonga is an island state in the South Pacific that belongs to Polynesia. They used to be called Friendship Islands. There are archaeological theories that the first settlers from the Santa Cruz Islands came to Tonga via Micronesia as part of a migration of peoples from Southeast Asia that began around 3000 BC. In the 12th century, the Tongans and their paramount chief, the Tuʻi Tonga, were known throughout the Pacific region from Niue to Tikopia. Tribal feuds broke out repeatedly in the 15th century and again in the 17th century. The first contacts with Europeans took place at that time: in 1616 with the Dutch explorers Willem Schouten and Jakob Le Maire. In 1643 with Abel Tasman (who traded a little with the natives), and later around 1773 with James Cook, who subsequently visited the islands two more times (1774 and 1777). Francisco Maurelle reached Vavaʻu in 1781. The first missionaries followed twenty years later, with the Methodist Walter Lawry playing an important role, although he did not arrive in Tonga until 1822. In the Samoa Treaty of 1899, the German Empire renounced all rights to Tonga and in May 1900 the islands became a British protectorate. Tonga gained its full independence on June 1970. Tonga is an independent member of the Commonwealth and has been a member of the United Nations since 1999. With the exception of New Zealand, it is still the only (parliamentary) hereditary monarchy in the entire Polynesian Pacific region.