Abba Thulle

by Henry Kingsbury after Arthur William Devis

Abba Thulle[a] was the ibedul, 'paramount chief'[b] of Koror whom the sailor Henry Wilson and his crew met on their voyage to Palau in 1783.[1][2] His second son Prince Lee Boo became one of the first people from the Pacific Islands to visit Great Britain, but died six months after he departed.[3] He learned of his son's death when Captain John McCluer later visited the islands.[4] Andrew Cheyne wrote about his encounter with Abba Thulle in the book A description of islands in the western Pacific ocean, north and south of the equator.[5] William Lisle Bowles wrote a poem about him entitled Abba Thule's Lament For His Son Prince Le Boo.[6] A horse was named after him that later won the Doncaster Cup in 1790.[7]


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  1. ^ "Ibedul". The British Museum. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Capt Henry Wilson". The British Museum. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Prince Lee Boo, second son of Abba Thule [picture]". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  4. ^ Goetzfridt, Nicholas J.; Peacock, Karen M. (2002). Micronesian Histories: An Analytical Bibliography and Guide to Interpretations. ISBN 9780313291036. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  5. ^ Cheyne, Andrew (1852). "A description of islands in the western Pacific ocean, north and south of the equator". Google Books. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  6. ^ "ABBA THULE'S LAMENT FOR HIS SON PRINCE LE BOO". Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Doncaster Cup Winners". tbheritage. Retrieved 13 July 2021.