Mangarevan expedition facts for kids
The Mangarevan expedition was a big scientific trip in 1934. Its main goal was to study the plants, animals, and people of the far southeastern islands of Polynesia, especially Mangareva. This kind of detailed study of nature was more common in earlier times.
The trip was supported by the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was led by Charles Montague Cooke Jr., who studied snails and shells.
Contents
Who Was on the Team?
The expedition had a team of many experts. They wanted to learn about different parts of the islands.
Studying People and Cultures
- Kenneth P. Emory and Peter H. Buck were ethnologists. They studied human cultures and societies.
- They learned about the traditions and history of the islanders.
Exploring Plants and Animals
- Harold St. John and F. Raymond Fosberg were botanists. They focused on studying plants.
- Donald Anderson and Yoshio Kondo were also malacologists. They studied snails and other shelled creatures.
- E. C. Zimmerman was an entomologist. He studied insects.
The Journey and Discoveries
The main group sailed on a ship called the Islander. It used to be a Japanese fishing boat. Another team, led by Kenneth Emory, sailed on the Tiare Tahiti. They explored Mangareva and the Tuamotu Islands.
Long Voyage and Rich Collections
The expedition visited 56 islands. They traveled more than 14,000 kilometers (about 8,700 miles). This journey lasted for six months. When they returned, they had collected a huge amount of information. They gathered one of the largest collections of plants ever from Polynesia.
Discoveries on Napuka Atoll
Emory's team spent 14 weeks on Napuka Atoll. This island in the Tuamotus was quite isolated.
- They collected 200 artifacts. These are objects made by people, like tools or decorations.
- They recorded 90 songs and chants.
- They also wrote down family histories and oral stories. These records are still very important for understanding old Polynesian temple rituals.
Adventures and Challenges
A journalist named Clifford Gessler joined the trip. He wrote a book about it called Road My Body Goes (1937). He described some of the exciting and difficult moments. For example, he almost died from a poisonous coral cut on Napuka Atoll.
