The Tapu of Banderah / 1901

A small tropical island settlement is plunged into violence when a native priest incites a ritualistic, cannibalistic attack that imperils the few European residents and their native companions. The narrative tracks frantic attempts to reach a waiting schooner, the desperate courage of a loyal islander who seeks to save friends, and the exhausted missionary and traders who must choose between faith, survival, and pragmatic defense. Tense chases, narrow escapes, and grim scenes of ritual vengeance unfold amid the island’s heat, exploring fear, duty, and the collision of traditions in an isolated seafaring community.