lof many old German families.
The whaling ships which filled the Western Pacific with adventure
were largely American. but their officers and crews were men of every
nation and every continent. Less exciting. but more enduring. were the
traders and government people who followed in the wake of the
missionaries and whalers.
Today. men and women from everywhere in the world find their way
to the islands. Some linger for the rest of their lives. some stay
only a day or two. Each has his own story which becomes part of the
ever growing tale of the islands and each adds something to the
interest which, like the beauty of Vava'u, is ever new. ever changing.