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george vason : tonga, 1810

George Vason : Body Surfing in Tonga, 1810.

Extract from
Vason, George:
An Authentic Narrative of four years' residence at Tongataboo,
one of the Friendly Islands, in the South-Sea,
By Geoge Vason who went thither in the Duff, under Captain Wilson, in 1796.
With an Appendix, by an eminent writer.
Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme; L. B. Seeley, and Hatchard, London, 1810, pages 101 to 102.

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Introduction.
George Vason who was one of the first ten Christian missionaries to arrive in Tonga.
He left the missionaries at Tonga and lived among the natives for four years.
He began to dress and live as a Tongan, and married one of the native girls.
He built up an estate and became a prosperous Tongan gentlemen until the beginning of the civil wars in 1799. He was tattooed, and looked and spoke like a Tongan.
He escaped the wars on the ship, Royal Admiral, and returned to Nottingham where he died in 1838.
He told his story to James Orange and only two versions have been printed, this one in 1810 and one in 1840. His description of Tonga at the end of the eighteenth century is important in that it precedes William Mariner's longer account published in 1817, but the two accounts give uniquely objective reports of Tonga before and during the civil war.
-Hill, Pacific Voyages, p.306; Ferguson, 507b.

Also see:

1810 William Mariner : Body Surfing in Tonga.

Page 101

Bathing is a very favourite amusement, in which they generally indulge two or three times a day.
Both sexes often play together in the water at the following diversion : they fix two posts, about a hundred yards distant from each other, in a depth of water about four feet, near the shore, and midway betwixt them is placed a large stone.
Then dividing into two companies, the game is, which side can first tug the stone to their own post.
In playing at this diversion with them, I have seen numbers at the bottom of the water together, bauling and pulling the stone different ways, with all the eagerness that contending parties, in the northern counties of England, exert themselves to drive the shinney to its goal.
When a diver returned to the surface, for breath, another of his party instantly ...

Page 102
...

But they take particular delight in another amusement in the water, called Fumeefoo.
They go down to the flat shore, at high water, when the swell rolls with great force to the land, and plunge in and swim some yards into the sea, then pushing themselves on the top of the swell, they ride in, close to the shore.
It is astonishing to see with what dexterity they will steer themselves on the wave, one hand being stretched out, as the prow before, and the other guiding them like a rudder behind: and though they are riding in upon the swelling billow, with a frightful rapidity, that makes you apprehend they will be dashed and killed upon the shore, they will, with surprising agility, turn themselves suddenly, on one side, and darting back through the next wave, swim out to sea, till another swell waft them on towards shore; when, if inclined to land, they will again turn themselves on one side, and, awaiting the wave's return, dart through the refluent surge, and reach the shore in safety.

Several hours are often spent at one time, in this sport, in which the women are as skilful as the men.
I never attempted this diversion myself, as the trial might have been fatal.

Vason, George:
An Authentic Narrative of four years' residence at Tongataboo,
one of the Friendly Islands, in the South-Sea,
By Geoge Vason who went thither in the Duff, under Captain Wilson, in 1796.
With an Appendix, by an eminent writer.
Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme; L. B. Seeley, and Hatchard, London, 1810.

Geoff Cater (2010-2013) : George Vason : Body Surfing in Tonga, 1810.
http://www.surfresearch.com.au/1810_Vason_Tonga.html