Alfred Restieaux facts for kids

Alfred Restieaux (1832–1911) was born in Paris, France. His family had French roots. His grandfather was a French nobleman who escaped danger during the French Revolution. When he was 16, Alfred moved to Australia. Later, he traveled to South America and North America. He then became a trader on islands in the central Pacific Ocean. From 1867 to 1872, he worked with Ben Pease and Bully Hayes. These were two well-known ship captains who operated in the Pacific. They were involved in recruiting workers for plantations.

Early Adventures

Restieaux left England on a ship called the Cromwell. This was soon after some protests in London in 1848. He arrived in South Australia around August 1848 or 1849. He worked on sheep farms there. He also searched for gold in South Australia and Victoria. Once, he spent two weeks with three bushrangers. These were people who were running from the police after a gold robbery. It's possible they were led by John Francis. This group robbed a gold escort on July 20, 1853.

Restieaux also spent time in Peru. There, he took part in a revolution. Later, he sailed to San Francisco in the United States. He joined a group of teamsters there. They crossed mountains and plains to reach Salt Lake City. After that, he looked for gold near Nevada City, California.

Trading in the Marshall Islands

Colony of Lesser Frigate Birds on McKean Island

In 1867, Restieaux was a foreman. He worked at a Guano (bird droppings used as fertilizer) mining site. This was on McKean Island in the Phoenix Islands. Today, this island is part of Kiribati. In late 1867, he traveled to Honolulu for a holiday. He was a passenger on the ship Kamehameka.

At this time, Ben Pease was a captain of a ship called the Blossom. He traded in coconuts and coconut oil in the Marshall Islands. Business was good. So, in late 1867, Pease sent his mate, George Bridges, to Honolulu. He asked for another ship. He also wanted someone to manage a trading station. This station was on Ponape atoll (now called Pohnpei).

Mr. C. A. Williams owned the Blossom. He hired Restieaux for the job on Ponape. He sent another ship, the Malolo, with Captain Bridges. The Malolo arrived at Mili Atoll on March 1, 1868. Instead of Ponape, Restieaux was put in charge of the Mili station. After nine months, Williams sold his company. It was bought by Glover Dow & Co. of Shanghai. Mr. Williams wrote to Restieaux. He told him that Glover Dow & Co. would pay him. But Restieaux was never paid. The company went out of business.

Restieaux then worked as an agent for Ben Pease on Ponape atoll. But that business did not succeed. In August 1871, Restieaux sailed with Bully Hayes on the Leonora. He landed on Pingelap atoll. He traded there as an agent for Hayes until May 1872. Bully Hayes gave Restieaux a special note promising to pay him later. But this note was never paid. Restieaux sailed with Hayes through the Gilbert Islands. These are now part of Kiribati. They arrived in Samoa in December 1872. He met Louis Beck there. Beck had also traveled with Hayes. Beck's later stories helped create many legends about Bully Hayes.

Trading in the Ellice Islands

Nukufetau atoll

Restieaux left Samoa in 1873. He went to trade at Nukufetau in the Ellice Islands. These islands are now known as Tuvalu. In late 1874 or early 1875, a British warship, HMS Rosario, came to Nukufetau. Its commander, Challis, was looking for Hayes. The ship was investigating shipping practices. Restieaux told them that Hayes might be in the Marshall Islands. Another warship, HMS Renard, came to Nukufetau in 1876. Captain Pugh was in charge. They were also searching for Hayes.

In the 1870s, a German company became very important. This was J. C. Godeffroy und Sohn of Hamburg. They operated from Samoa. They started to control the copra (dried coconut meat) trade in Tuvalu. In 1879, Restieaux was their local trader. He worked at Nanumea, an atoll in northern Tuvalu. In the same year, another company took over J. C. Godeffroy und Sohn. This new company was DHPG.

Around April 1880, Louis Becke was on the nearby island of Nanumanga. He stayed there until a cyclone destroyed the trading station later that year. Restieaux described Becke as "first rate company, a good storyteller."

During the 1880s, Restieaux continued to work for DHPG. He stayed with them until they stopped working in the Ellice Islands. Restieaux moved to Funafuti in July 1881. Later that year, George Westbrook arrived on Funafuti. He traded as an agent for Henderson and Macfarlane. They remained friendly business rivals. Around 1888–89, Restieaux moved to live in the southern atoll of Nukufetau. This was the home island of his wife, Litia.

In 1890, Restieaux met Robert Louis Stevenson. He also met Stevenson's wife, Fanny Vandegrift Stevenson, and her son, Lloyd Osbourne. They were on a voyage aboard the Janet Nicoll. This was a trading ship owned by Henderson and Macfarlane of New Zealand. It sailed between Sydney, Auckland, and the central Pacific. Fanny wrote that they landed at Funafuti, Niutao, and Nanumea. However, some believe they landed at Nukufetau instead of Funafuti. Fanny Vandegrift Stevenson wrote about this trip. Her book was called The Cruise of the Janet Nichol. It included photos taken by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne.

In 1892, Captain Davis of HMS Royalist recorded Alfred Restieaux and Emile Fenisot living on Nukufetau. After 1900, the number of foreign traders in Tuvalu went down. By 1909, there were no foreign traders living there. Restieaux died on Nukufetau in 1911.