King Thakombau's war clubs

Adolf Brewster Brewster (1854-1937), formerly Adolf Brewster-Joske, went to Fiji in 1870 with a group of settlers granted land with the Polynesia Company. He entered the Colonial Service after the plantations failed, and remained in Fiji until 1910, when he retired to England. He published two books, 'The hills tribes of Fiji' (1922) and 'King of the Cannibal Isles' (1937), the latter of which discussed King Thakombau (1817-1883), Chief of the Fiji Islands.

The album, 10½'' x 12'' (c. 1930), contains four pages of text describing how, on his arrival in England, Brewster tried to discover what had become of the war club of King Thakombau (Cakobau), located among the historical treasures at Windsor Castle. He paraphrases the 'long typewritten disquisition' of 'a native gentleman of Mbau' on 'The legend of King Thakombau's clubs'. The text is preceded by four inserted photographs, taken 1871-1883, of King Thakombau (2), his war club and the Royal Arms and Motto of Fiji. At the end of the volume is a facsimile of 'A bill granting His Majesty certain duties, taxes and assessment and for securing the public revenues', 1872. On a loose piece of card is a small painting of the Fijian Royal Standard and Ensign.

Presented by the Revd Dr D.P. Brewster, great-nephew of Adolf Brewster Brewster, October 1995.

Please cite as Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, King Thakombau's war clubs, RCMS 313

The R.C.S. Manuscripts Collection includes Brewster's notes on the genealogies and histories of Fiji tribes, RCMS 314.

MSS Addenda, vol. III. Indexed

This collection level description was created by RAS using information from the original typescript catalogue.