250 years ago, in 1767, Captain Samuel Wallis discovered Tahiti.

(By Corinne RAYBAUD.)

Captain Samuel Wallis discovered Tahiti in 1767 by Corinne Raybaud

TAHITI, POLYNESIA, July 26, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ — Corinne RAYBAUD, Doctor of History at the University Paris X Nanterre and Doctor of law at the University Montesquieu Bordeaux IV has focused her research activities on the history of Tahiti, Easter island and the islands of the eastern Pacific ocean. Her specialities are Easter island between 1862 and 1888 and the development of the law in eastern Polynesia from 1767 to 1945. Corinne Raybaud lives in Tahiti.
Her first book published in 1996 is dedicated to Easter Island. Since 2008, she wrote books based on her universitary works on Easter Island and polynesian laws and the Oceanic French Establishments during WWI (1914-1918). She is the co-author of two biographies on John Brander and Dutrou Bornier two influent people during the 19th century in the Pacific. In 2011, she published a historical novel today known as Cornelia which relates the story of a great tahitian family from the 19th century to nowadays. In 2012 and 2013 she wrote short stories about women in Tahiti where she narrated their brave and moving lives.
Her last book named ” Wallis discovered Tahiti, 250 years ago in 1767″ relates the circumnavigation of Captain Samuel Wallis on the Dolphin, the discovery of Tahiti then called “Island of King George III” and the first meeting between European navigators and Tahitian people. She had the project to make small movies about the arrival of the first navigators.
Samuel Wallis (1728-1795). In 1766, Samuel Wallis who had already served under Commodore John Byron became at 38 years old the captain of the HMS Dolphin. On June 19, 1767, he discovered Tahiti. Wallis decided to name the island of Tahiti after the King George III, who ruled Britain at that moment. After discovering Tahiti and lots of other islands in the Pacific he came back to England in May 1768. Even though he is not as famous as French Captain Louis Antoine de Bougainville and English Captain James Cook, Wallis was the one who first discovered Tahiti. When he came back to England he gave precious information to James Cook before he traveled across the Pacific and some men of his crew even sailed with Cook.
In 1767, Captain Samuel Wallis discovered Tahiti and anchored in Matavai Bay in the north of the island. He called the island “The Island of King George III”
Nine months later, in 1768 French Captain Louis Antoine de Bougainville arrived in Tahiti but anchored on the East coast (Hitia’a) and thought that he was the first to discover the island, and named it: “The New Cythera”
In 1769, Captain James Cook disembarked in Matavai in the same place where Samuel Wallis anchored, because Wallis came back to England just before Cook left forTahiti. He called the island : O’Taheite.
These circumnavigations lasted two or three years. There were dangerous. Scurvy was a painful and mortal disease and after these trips, captains used more oranges, limes, cabbage to save their crews.
For three years, 2017-2018-2019 we will celebrate in Tahiti the arrival of these famous explorers : Samuel Wallis in 1767, Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1768, James Cook in 1769.

Corinne RAYBAUD
Mémoire du Pacifique