Twelve Days at Nuku Hiva : Russian Encounters and Mutiny in the South Pacific

In August 1803 two Russian ships, the Nadezhda and the Neva, set off on a round-the-world voyage to carry out scientific exploration and collect artifacts for Alexander I's ethnographic museum in St. Petersburg. Russia's strategic concerns in the north Pacific, however, led the Russian government to include as part of the expedition an embassy to Japan, headed by statesman Nikolai Rezanov, who was given authority over the ships'commanders without their knowledge. Between them the ships carried an ethnically and socially disparate group of men: Russian educated elite, German naturalists, Siberian merchants, Baltic naval officers, even Japanese passengers. Upon reaching Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas archipelago on May 7, 1804, and for the next twelve days, the naval officers revolted against Rezanov's command while complex crosscultural encounters between Russians and islanders occurred. Elena Govor recounts the voyage, reconstructing and exploring in depth the tumultuous events of the Russians'stay in Nuku Hiva; the course of the mutiny, its resolution and aftermath; and the extent and nature of the contact between Nuku Hivans and Russians.Govor draws directly on the writings of the participants themselves, many of whom left accounts of the voyage. Those by the ships'captains, Krusenstern and Lisiansky, and the naturalist George Langsdorff are well known, but here for the first time, their writings are juxtaposed with recently discovered textual and visual evidence by various members of the expedition in Russian, German, Japanese—and by the Nuku Hivans themselves. Two sailor-beachcombers, a Frenchman and an Englishman who acted as guides and interpreters, later contributed their own accounts, which feature the words and opinions of islanders. Govor also relies on a myth about the Russian visit recounted by Nuku Hivans to this day.With its unique polyphonic historical approach, Twelve Days at Nuku Hiva presents an innovative crosscultural ethnohistory that uncovers new approaches to—and understandings of—what took place on Nuku Hiva more than two hundred years ago.

In August 1803 two Russian ships, the Nadezhda and the Neva, set off on a round-the-world voyage to carry out scientific exploration and collect artifacts for Alexander I's ethnographical museum in St. Petersburg. Russia's strategic concerns in the north Pacific, however, led the Russian government to include as part of the expedition an embassy to Japan, headed by statesman Nikolai Rezanov, who was given authority over the ships' commanders without their knowledge. Between them the ships carried an ethnically and socially disparate group of men: Russia educated elite, German naturalists, Siberian merchants, Baltic naval officers, even Japanese passengers. Upon reaching Nuju Hiva in the Marquesas archipelago on May 7, 1804, and for the next twelve days, the naval officers revolted against Rezanov's command while complex cross-cultural encounters between Russians and islanders occurred. Elena Govor recounts the vovage, reconstructing and exploring in depth the tumultuous events of the Russians' stay in Nuku Hiva; the course of the mutiny, its resolution and aftermath; and the extent and nature of the contact between Nuku Hivans and Russians.

Govor draws directly on the writings of the participants themselves, many of whom left accounts of the voyage. Those by the ships' captains, Krusenstern and Lisiansky, and the naturalist George Langsdorff are well known, but here for the first time, their writings are juxtaposed with recently discovered textual and visual evidence by various members on the expedition in Russian, German, and Japanese—and by the Nuku Hivans themselves. Two sailer-beachcombers, a Frenchman and an Englishman who acted as guides and interpreters, later contributed their own accounts, which feature the words and opinions of islanders. Govor also relies on a myth about the Russian visit recounted by Nuku Hivans to this day.

With its unique polyphonic historical approach, Twelve Days at Nuku Hiva presents an innovative cross-cultural ethnohistory that uncovers new approaches to—and understandings of—what took place on Nuku Hiva more than two hundred years ago.

In August 1803 two Russian ships, the Nadezhda and the Neva, set off on a round-the-world voyage to carry out scientific exploration and collect artifacts for Alexander Is ethnographic museum in St. Petersburg. Russias strategic concerns in the north Pacific, however, led the Russian government to include as part of the expedition an embassy to Japan, headed by statesman Nikolai Rezanov, who was given authority over the ships commanders without their knowledge. Between them the ships carried an ethnically and socially disparate group of Russian educated elite, German naturalists, Siberian merchants, Baltic naval officers, even Japanese passengers. Upon reaching Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas archipelago on May 7, 1804, and for the next twelve days, the naval officers revolted against Rezanovs command while complex crosscultural encounters between Russians and islanders occurred. Elena Govor recounts the voyage, reconstructing and exploring in depth the tumultuous events of the Russians stay in Nuku Hiva; the course of the mutiny, its resolution and aftermath; and the extent and nature of the contact between Nuku Hivans and Russians. Govor draws directly on the writings of the participants themselves, many of whom left accounts of the voyage. Those by the ships captains, Krusenstern and Lisiansky, and the naturalist George Langsdorff are well known, but here for the first time, their writings are juxtaposed with recently discovered textual and visual evidence by various members of the expedition in Russian, German, Japaneseand by the Nuku Hivans themselves. Two sailor-beachcombers, a Frenchman and an Englishman who acted as guides and interpreters, later contributed their own accounts, which feature the words and opinions of islanders. Govor also relies on a myth about the Russian visit recounted by Nuku Hivans to this day. With its unique polyphonic historical approach, Twelve Days at Nuku Hiva presents an innovative crosscultural ethnohistory that uncovers new approaches toand understandings ofwhat took place on Nuku Hiva more than two hundred years ago. Acknowledgments......Page 10 Note on Spelling and Translations......Page 12 Part I: From Russia to Nuku Hiva......Page 14 Part II: Nuku Hiva......Page 69 DAY 1. Encounter. 25 April (7 May) 1804......Page 77 DAY 2. Discovery. 26 April (8 May) 1804......Page 104 DAY 3. Immersion. 27 April (9 May) 1804......Page 128 DAY 4. Tattooing. 28 April (10 May) 1804......Page 150 DAY 5. Heresy. 29 April (11 May) 1804......Page 167 DAY 6 Tension. 30 April (12 May) 1804......Page 176 DAY 7 Temptations. 1/13 May 1804......Page 183 DAY 8 Catharsis. 2/14 May 1804......Page 208 DAY 9 Dislocation. 3/15 May 1804......Page 227 DAYS 10–12 Parting4/16–6/18 May 1804......Page 240 Part III: From Nuku Hiva to Russia......Page 251 Epilogue: Nuku Hiva Revisited......Page 276 Notes......Page 282 Bibliography......Page 286 Index......Page 302 pt. 1. From Russia to Nuku Hiva pt. 2. Nuku Hiva Sighting the other : expectations and apprehensions Day 1: Encounter : 25 April (7 May) 1804 Day 2: Discovery : 26 April (8 May) 1804 Day 3: Immersion : 27 April (9 May) 1804 Day 4: Tattooing : 28 April (10 May) 1804 Day 5: Heresy : 29 April (11 May) 1804 Day 6: Tension : 30 April (12 May) 1804 Day 7: Temptations : 1/13 May 1804 Day 8: Catharsis : 2/14 May 1804 Day 9: Dislocation : 3/15 May 1804 Day 10-12: Parting : 4/16-6/18 May 1804 pt. 3. From Nuku Hiva to Russia Epilogue: Nuku Hiva revisited. pt. 1. From Russia to Nuku Hiva pt. 2. Nuku Hiva Day 1: Encounter : 25 April (7 May) 1804 Day 2: Discovery : 26 April (8 May) 1804 Day 3: Immersion : 27 April (9 May) 1804 Day 4: Tattooing : 28 April (10 May) 1804 Day 5: Heresy : 29 April (11 May) 1804 Day 6: Tension : 30 April (12 May) 1804 Day 7: Temptations : 1/13 May 1804 Day 8: Catharsis : 2/14 May 1804 Day 9: Dislocation : 3/15 May 1804 Days 10-12: Parting : 4/16-6/18 May 1804 pt. 3. From Nuku Hiva to Russia Epilogue: Nuku Hiva revisited.