“[H]e ticked all the boxes for what the noble savage was supposed to be.” With his friendly demeanour, politeness, and charisma, Polynesian ‘Prince’ Mai endeared himself to 18th-century English society. The first Polynesian to set foot in England, the English were convinced that he was a member of the royalty; thus, Mai was promptly introduced to King George III. It was in this meeting that Mai revealed his true intentions: the acquisition of guns and gunpowder in order to push back the Bora Bora, who had taken over his humble home, Raiatea.
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