On the Missionary Trail: The Classic Georgian Adventure of Two Englishmen, Sent on a Journey Around the World, 1821-29 Book

Tom Hiney does himself something of a disservice with his title, which gives his book a slightly fusty, earnest flavour. But nothing could be further from the reality of reading this combination of history, travel book and adventure story. Hiney, whose last biography was a pacey life of Raymond Chandler, retells the story of two missionaries: George Bennet and Daniel Tyerman, sent by the London Missionary Society to bring Christianity to the godless world, beginning with Tahiti and travelling through New Zealand, Australia, the far East, India and Africa. His subtitle captures the spirit of his book better: "the Classic Georgian Adventure of Two Englishmen Sent on a Journey Around the World 1821-29". These two perfectly ordinary individuals did and saw extraordinary things in a wonderful variety of exotic locations.Hiney's admiration for the sheer grit of the London Missionary Society is infectious; and some of his descriptions are particularly penetrating. Tyerman preaching to empty pews in Hawaii, for instance, while the native royal family feasted splendidly in the nearby mission house, singing and laughing, "seated at a large table while a servant in waiting supplied them with ardent spirits". Or the occasion where the deputation was attacked by Maoris ("the ship's carpenter said aloud to Bennet, 'sir, we shall all be murdered and eaten up in a few minutes'"). Tyerman died of "an apoplexy" in Madagascer; although it turns out that he was probably just faint and dehydrated, and may have been inadvertently bled to death by his well-meaning friend. By this stage in the book we have been deeply involved with the two missionaries, and it is hard not to feel moved by his pitiful end, and to breath a sigh of relief to discover that Bennet made it back to London where he devoted the rest of his life to good works. --Adam RobertsRead More