1781: Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora del Rosario, visited Vava’u, Tonga.

In 1781, the Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora del Rosario under the command of Captain Francisico Antonio Mourelle visited Vava’u, Tonga, reported The European Connection with Tonga,  by James Bade. A number of British and French expeditions followed between 1787 and 1793. Tonga continued to exert a fascination over Europeans well into the nineteenth century. Visitors [...]