The Adventure of Elizabeth Morey, of New York

Aboard the American brig Union, anchored in Sydney’s harbor in 1804, a young woman from New York steps forward to recount how she came to be held captive among the Tongatabu islanders. Elizabeth Morey speaks with quiet confidence, describing her life at the Cape of Good Hope, her fateful meeting with the charismatic Captain Melton, and the decision to join his voyage across the South Pacific.

Her story unfolds on the volcanic shores of Tongatabu, where the crew is drawn into a fierce dispute between the island chief and a rival group from Haabai. As the Americans supply arms and manpower, they find themselves tangled in unfamiliar customs, shifting loyalties, and the moral complexities of intervening in a foreign conflict. Listeners are invited into a vivid world of early‑19th‑century seafaring, exotic cultures, and a resilient woman whose perspective bridges two very different worlds.