Toki Ukamea: The story of William Mariner
By Richard Wolfgramm
Toki Ukamea: The story of William MarinerJan 01, 2023
21 Years Later: A Letter from Mafihape
In 2007, an online listing for a unique copy of Mariner's account was discovered in a bookstore in Canada. In the blank pages in the back of this copy was a letter, a transcription of a letter written in Tongan and addressed to a William Mariner. The book, it turned out, once belonged to Mariner's daughter and the letter in the back pages was transcribed from an actual letter that was delivered to Mariner from Mafihape.
Farewell to Tonga
A European vessel is spotted in the western horizon of Vava'u and no one is more excited than William Mariner. Our boy is going home!
A New Government
What does a post-'Ulukālala look like? For one thing, his son, Moengāngonga, the new Finau, proves to be a much different ruler than his father. He's kinder and gentler, with a mind focused on revitalizing agriculture and cultivating the happiness of his people. And then here's the issue of Tupouto'a in Ha'apai. Is he a threat or an ally? And what will they do with the annual 'inasi now that the Tu'i Tonga is residing in Vava'u but Finau has cut off all contact with Ha'apai and Tongatapu.
Farewell to the King
Shortly after his daughter Saumailagi passed away, Finau 'Ulukālala falls ill during the post-funeral celebrations. From Mariner's description of his condition, it seems like the great warrior king of Vava'u succumbed to heart failure. He eventually passes away too, and in his dying breath he utters the word "fonua." Vava'u prepares for a state funeral for 'Ulukālala while his son, Moengangongo, advised by his widely respected and wise uncle Finau Fisi, assumes leadership. He renounces war with the neighboring islands and isolates Vava'u from the rest of Tonga, and instead admonishes his people to focus their energies on rebuilding Vava'u.
Fonua
Saumailagi, a young daughter of Finau 'Ulukālala falls ill. He pleads with the gods to spare her life but Saumailagi's condition shows no improvement. Mariner witnesses and documents the funerary customs at Saumailagi's funeral, a mix of Samoan and 'Ulukālala's own twist on tradition, perhaps, as Mariner theorizes, an act of defiance to the gods and tradition. And unexpectedly, 'Ulukālala's health suddenly declines.
Hū Lou Ifi
In this episode, will Tupoumalohi get the pardon he seeks from Finau 'Ulukālala?
Elizabeth Morey and Teukava
Kau Moala - A Report from Fiji
This episode is about the famed navigator Kau Moala who spent 14 years in Fiji. We also learn about the origins of the Tongan phrase Vete Fakafutuna, a legacy of our navigating history.
Leaky Canoes
What's that in the sky? It's a bird! It's a plane! It's an anus?
The war is over and Finau 'Ulukālala indulges in some recreation, namely, hunting kalae and rat. We learn more about these two sports, we get to learn about the story of the islands Tofua and Kao in Ha'apai, we learn about the tale of Mariner's Cave in Nuapapu, Vava'u, and Finau 'Ulukālala critiques the European invention of money and currency. And just when you think he was becoming likable again he does the unthinkable....
Your Gotta Get Your Peace On
The war in Vava'u is drawing out longer than Finau 'Ulukālala had anticipated. The Vava'uans have dug in at their might fortress in Feletoa. Under To'eumu's leadership, they are not budging. The war has taken many lives on both sides and Finau is getting desperate because they are running out of provisions. Is peace in the horizon?
The Gods are Cruel
These Hoes Ain't Loyal
Vava'u Fights Back
Got questions? Send them to my email rwolfgramm@gmail.com.
Vava'u be like "Screw You!"
Got questions? Send them to rwolfgramm@gmail.com
It’s always the good ones that have to die...
I ran frantically, then I dropped down to his feet
I saw the blood, all over, the hot concrete
I picked him up, then I held him by his head
His eyes shut, that's when I knew he was...
Aw man! How do I say goodbye?
It's alway the good ones who have to die
Candy Licker
Mariner on the Front Line
Mariner is unofficially enlisted into Finau 'Ulukālala's war on the chiefs of Tongatapu. His knowledge of arms procured from the Port au Prince proves to be valuable to 'Ulukālala who hasn't been able to successfully take Tongatapu for nine years since the assassination of Tuku'aho.
BONUS: Q&A Episode
Finau 'Ulukālala's War
Mariner finally resigns himself to the reality that he is stuck in Tonga, perhaps forever. To make matters worse, he finds himself in the middle of a brewing civil between Tonga's powerful chiefs vying for power. It's the classic case of out of the frying pan and into the fire. Mariner provides some background into the key players and the major event that started the war—the assassination of the Tu'i Kanokupolu named Tuku'aho—in which Finau 'Ulukālala II was a co-conspirator.
Song: Fonuamotu by the Afokoula Singers