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Francisco Antonio Maurelle

1780 to 1781

The last Spanish voyage into the south Pacific was made by Don Francisco Antonio Maurelle in 1780 to 1781. The account of this expedition was obtained from a manuscript procured by the French navigator La Pèrouse in China and was sent back to France with his journals.

Maurelle set out on a voyage in the frigate La Princessa from Manila to St. Blaise on the North American coast. He sailed from Cavite in the Philippines on August 24, 1780, and owing to adverse winds, found himself in the south Pacific among the islands of Melanesia. On February 27, 1781, he reached the island of Latte (Late), which is in the Vavau group of the Tongan islands. After trading with natives who came off in canoes, he discovered Vavau on March 4 and named it Island of Majorca. He met a high chief named Tubou, was entertained with dances and kava, and recorded a number of observations about the inhabitants. He seems to have gone on to the Apia group, for on March 21, he counted ten islands to starboard and named them Don Joseph de Galvez. From this area, he worked back to Guam, which he reached on May 31. On June 20, he sailed from Guam and anchored in the roadstead of St. Blaise on September 27, 1781.