December 24, 1853 Tsunami: Tongatapu Island

Ref #415:

December, 1853, Tonga Islands. The following is an account of Sawkins (Sawkins, 1856 [ref #13311]; Perrey, 1861; Davis, 1928), about a very severe earthquake which may have been accompanied by a tsunami.

"Several months prior to my arrival on the island of Tongatapu in 1854, an earthquake in the area had caused the northeast part of the island to subside, so that the ocean encroached here for 3 1/2 km (almost 2 miles) inland. Flooding occurred also, though to lesser extent, on the southeast coast of the island up to Nukualofa where, in a garden next to a completely demolished house, the water is now washing the roots of trees. The western shore of the island rose approximately one meter (several feet) and one of the springs that had been there previously disappeared underground.

"Noteworthy also is the fact that the inundation of the northern and eastern shores, and the upheaval of the western and southern shores, was accompanied, at roughly the same time, by the appearance of a new island to the west. This fact was witnessed by many, including the captain of a whaling ship who previously had often sailed along that particular route and who, having grounded his ship on a sand bar near the new island, proceeded to land with a boat and crew on its western side. According to his account, the island was elevated about a decimetre (several inches) above the sea for a distance of 130 km (70 miles) and was covered with a black sand, exactly like the sand on the shores of other volcanic islands of this group and of the islands of Haapai. Moreover, hundreds of tons of sand were washing into the sea with each surf. I especially questioned the natives of Tongatapu whether they had previously seen anything similar to land in that direction, to which they replied negatively. The natives reckoned that the island had appeared on the very night when an earthquake had occurred (Christmas Eve, 1853) and when the ocean had inundated the land in Hihifo (Nord Point)."

Ref #13311:

Tongataboo, one of the Friendly Islands, was visited a few months previous to my sojourn there in 1854 by an earthquake, when the north-east portion of it was tilted down to an inclination sufficient to produce an encroachment of the sea for nearly 2 miles inland, gradually diminishing to the south-eastern shore as far as Nukualofa, where it now washes the roots of a tree that grew within the house that has been entirely destroyed. The western coast has visibly risen some feet, and a spring of water has sunk below the surface [...] overflow of the sea on the northern and eastern sides of the island, and the elevation on the south and west, are interesting in connection with the report of another island having appeared about this time to the westward. This fact was asserted by many, and among them by a whaling captain you had cruises often over the same track, and who landed in an open boat with his crew on the western coast, having stranded his vessel on the said island, which he described as being only a few inches above the ocean (at a distance of thirty miles), and covered with black sand exactly like that on the shores of other volcanic islands in this and the Haabai group; he said that "tons of this sand were being levelled down by the wash of every wave." I made a particular inquiry of the natives of Tongataboo if they had ever before seen any appearance of land in that direction, to which they replied, No, - but that it was their belief that it rose on the night of the earthquake (Christmas-eve, 1853), when the sea came over the land at Hihifo (the North Point).

Note: Ref #415 incorrectly transcribe details from Ref #13311

Ref #3048 postulates the event as a volcanic tsunami; the authors base evidence of volcanic activity on the appearance of the island 30 miles away.