Editing Rotuma (section)

===Whaling===

A favorite of whaling ships in need of reprovisioning, in the mid-nineteenth century Rotuma also became a haven for runaway sailors, some of whom were escaped convicts. Some of these deserters married local women and contributed their genes to an already heterogeneous pool; others met violent ends, reportedly at one another's hands. The first recorded whaleship to visit was the ''Loper'' in 1825, and the last known visit was by the ''[[Charles W. Morgan (ship)|Charles W. Morgan]]'' in 1894.<ref>Langdon, Robert (1984), ''Where the whalers went: an index to the Pacific ports and islands visited by American whalers (and some other ships) in the 19th century'', Canberra, Pacific Manuscripts Bureau, p.209. {{ISBN|086784471X}}</ref> Rotuma was visited as part of the [[United States Exploring Expedition]] in 1840.