JOEL BULU - Autobiography of a Native Minister of Hawaii - 1887 - Nice Covers
TITLE: Joel Bulu : the autobiography of a native minister in the South Seas
AUTHOR: Translated by A Missionary
PUBLISHER: London: T Woolmer
DATE: 1887
DESCRIPTION: 126 : ill. ; 17 cm. 6 3/8 x 4 1/8 Oral autobiography by Joel Bulu translated by a missionary.
CONDITION: FINE. Lightly sunned spine, still readable with complete, but worn caps. Covers bright with minimal soil to back only. Sharp tips. 1887 bookplate of Missionary Society of the Methodist Church, gift presentation label inside front pastedown. Presented to Lucy Reeves.
BINDING: Pictorial illustration over red cloth boards.
NOTES FROM WIKIPEDIA: Joeli Bulu (Siaoeli Pulu) (around 1810 – May 1877) became a Christian in 1833. He was one of a band of Tongan teachers who came to Fiji in 1838, and pioneered the work of the Christian Church in this group. He served the Church in Fiji for almost four decades.
Joeli was converted and called to preach in Tonga and later ‘called’ to Fiji. He came to Lakeba by canoe, and was appointed to help with the printing of catechisms and passages of Scriptures. Lorimer Fison translated Bulu's oral account of his life. This was edited by George Stringer Rowe and printed in England in 1871 with the title "Joel Bulu: The Autobiography of a Native Minister in the South Seas".
It contains his adventures in fires, storms, wars and floods, including some miraculous escapes. Some believe that he was a ‘chosen vessel’ protected by Providence in no ordinary way. He survived death many times, yet was spared to serve a 40 year ministry. He served first at Lakeba and then at Rewa, and after that the station was closed because of the wars, at Viwa. John Hunt sent him to investigate possibilities of establishing the work in Vanua Levu, and to that field he was later appointed. He was the first Pacific islander to be placed alone in charge of a circuit – Ono, in 1848, and also the first to be ordained (1850) as a Native Assistant Missionary.
After this he served at Nadi (Vanua Levu), Bua and Cakaudrove where he pioneered the work before any white missionaries were established there. When the Cakaudrove station was finally established Joeli was found in charge of an institution for training catechists. Afterwards he was appointed to Bau, where he served as Cakobau’s own chaplain. Bulu died in May 1877. His grave is beside that of John Hunt at Viwa Island. He came to Fiji from his own land and gave himself wholly, and finally found his grave with the sons of her own soil. The Lelean Memorial School, a Methodist run school at Davuilevu, Nausori, Fiji honours his name by naming one its four houses after him. His remarks concerning his decision to convert to Christianity, "I will lotu (accept Christ as my Saviour) so that I may live among the stars", became the title of a book, "To Live Among the Stars", by John Garrett.
