Viliame (William) Vuetasau (c.1820-1857) was a Fijian explorer who was the son of

Roko Malani Roko Malani (died 1833) was high chief of the Fijian island of Lakeba. He held the title '' Tui Nayau'' (paramount chief of the Lau Islands) and was a popular chief. He increased the influence the island of Lakeba had in Fiji. The first Christia ...

, the seventh Roko Sau of

Lau Lau or LAU may refer to: People * Lau (surname) * Liu (劉/刘), a common Chinese family name transliterated Lau in Cantonese and Hokkien * Lau clan, one of the Saraswat Brahmin clans of Punjab * LAU (musician): Laura Fares Places * Lebane ...

and second

Tui Nayau ''Tu’i Nayau'' is the title held by the paramount chief of the Lau Islands in Fiji and is synonymous with the title holders over lordship of these islands. When translated, ''Tu’i Nayau'' means "Lord of Nayau", an island north of Lakeba, the la ...

and Ciri of Taqalevu. During the reign of his Uncle

Taliai Tupou Roko Taliai Tupou (17??-1875) was a Fijian nobleman. He is considered to be the progenitor of the noble household Vatuwaqa in the chiefly Vuanirewa clan and as such, was the first member of this noble household to hold the title ''Tui Nayau''. Hi ...

, third Tui Nayau, he was considered heir to the title. He was the first of his noble line to be given a western name, William, after Willam Cary, survivor of the

Nantucket Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...

whaling ship '' Oeno'' that was wrecked in the

Lau Islands The Lau Islands aka little Tonga (also called the Lau Group, the Eastern Group, the Eastern Archipelago) of Fiji are situated in the southern Pacific Ocean, just east of the Koro Sea. Of this chain of about sixty islands and islets, about thirty a ...

in 1825. William Cary was rescued by a brother of Malani, who in time became close friends with Malani himself, who named his son after the

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

er, demonstrating his attachment to the shipwrecked sailor. Vuetasau was instrumental in strengthening the hold of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

Lakeba Lakeba (pronounced ) is an island in Fiji’s Southern Lau Archipelago; the provincial capital of Lau is located here. The island is the tenth largest in Fiji, with a land area of nearly 60 square kilometers.Steadman (2006) It is fertile and wel ...

, and thereafter the rest of Lau. On the arrival of Christian missionaries William Cross and David Cargill on Lakeba in 1835, an announcement of their mission to Taliai Tupou was made and accordingly they were conducted to Matailakeba, his heirs' house, while the purpose of their coming was once again explained. Vuetasau approved and Taliai Tupou in turn followed suit and the missionaries were allowed to stay and establish a church. Vuetasau never succeeded to his uncles title as he drowned in 1857 whilst in an expedition with Tongan Chief

Enele Ma'afu Enele is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Enele Maʻafu ( 1816–1881), Tongan chief * Enele Malele (born 1990), Fijian rugby union player * Enele Sopoaga (born 1956), Tuvaluan diplomat and politician * Enele Taufa (born 1984), ...

. His eldest son Roko Josateki Malani II was a Seafarer and his second son Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba II held the title of Tui Nayau temporarily and was never given the title of the Sau ni Vanua, Roko Malani II but would similarly like his father share a premature death never succeeding to the title of Tui Nayau. It is believed that Vuetasau was expelled from Fiji after failing to complete a task asked by king Ma'afu.{{Cite book, last=Spurway, first=John, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TcOMCgAAQBAJ&q=%22Vuetasau%22+-Wikipedia&pg=PA126, title=Ma'afu, Prince of Tonga, Chief of Fiji: The life and times of Fiji's first Tui Lau, date=2015-02-23, publisher=ANU Press, isbn=978-1-925021-18-9, location=, pages=126, language=en

References

1857 deaths Fijian chiefs People from Lakeba Tui Nayau Vuanirewa Year of birth uncertain