Tessa 1901

"Tessa" by Louis Becke is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story unfolds in the South Pacific, specifically focusing on a small trading steamer, the "Motutapu", and the complex relationships among its crew and passengers. Central to the narrative is Harvey Carr, a trader in ill health, who becomes embroiled in the treacherous dynamics aboard the ship as tensions rise between him and the unscrupulous captain, Louis Hendry, and the supercargo, Samuel Chard. This backdrop hints at themes of adventure, survival, and moral conflict within a colonial trading setting. The opening of the novel transports readers to the "Motutapu" as it anchors near the village of Utiroa on Drummond's Island. The chapter introduces Carr, suffering from fever and viewed with suspicion by the crew, as he navigates his relationships with the corrupt captain and supercargo. It also sets the stage for the arrival of Tessa Remington, the daughter of a fellow trader, who rekindles Carr's spirits. As personalities clash and plots of deceit and survival come into play, Carr seeks to protect Tessa from the predatory intentions of Chard and Hendry. The tension mounts as both personal and external conflicts intertwine, foretelling a gripping narrative that explores themes of resilience and morality against the backdrop of colonial exploitation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

George Lewis Becke was at the turn of the nineteenth century, the most prolific, significant, and internationally renowned Australian-born writer of the South Pacific region. Having lived and worked among Pacific Islands and Islanders as a trader, ship's supercargo, and villager for some two decades, learning languages and observing natural and cultural life, Becke was prompted by J F Archibald of The Bulletin to write down his experiences, eventually becoming a popular and respected author of short stories, novellas, novels, as well as historic and ethnographic works.