109 of the Neuchâtel bourgeoisie, was born in Neuchâtel on May 23, 1800, and was baptized on June 20, 1800. He spent the fi rst part of his childhood in Neuchâtel. He later moved to London, which he then left for Buenos Aires. He subsequently settled in Valparaiso, where he remained until 1845. Monsieur Favarger seemed to have been made to travel, since he was interested in everything …. He never passed through a place without taking the opportunity to learn everything he could about its history and the natural environment. He had, for example, an in-depth knowledge of the history and geography of the South American continent, and it was extremely instructive to hear him express his ideas about the ethnology of these countries.8 Favarger’s shipment of January 1841 to Louis Coulon, director of the museum, was followed by another “shipment of precious objects from America” in 1845 (Mémoires 1846: 13). Details of this one are not clear, but it appears to have consisted of natural history specimens. After this date, Favarger traveled in Algeria, along the coasts of the Mediterranean, went up the Nile as far as the cataracts, and fi nally visited Palestine. Upon his return home, he married Mathilde-Elmire Bourgeois, daughter of David Bourgeois, on November 1, 1851. His health made it impossible for him to spend winters in Neuchâtel, and he frequently visited the Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Atlantic coasts, where he collected algae, rare mollusks, and fossils with his wife. He participated in many activities on the museum’s behalf and appears to have been remunerated for them.9 He died in San Remo in 1879. The conditions under which the museum obtained Favarger’s Polynesian collection remain shrouded in mystery, and Father O’Reilly’s “Notes” does not clarify the situation. O’Reilly’s reference to Lima instead of Valparaiso adds to the confusion. Despite his judgment of them, some of the objects are absolutely remarkable, such as the very old u’u club (inv. V.198, fi g. 1), the pair of stilt steps (inv. V.186 and V.187), the aforementioned tiki waka mooring post or canoe element, 10 four ear ornaments (inv. V.21, V.22, V.25, and V.26), and a ceremonial hook (inv. V.184, fi g. 4), all of which were of special interest to the museum’s visitors.11 The unexpected arrival of these Marquesan works in Neuchâtel in 1841 makes them all the more interesting. They can be compared with the collections that were acquired roughly contemporaneously by Colmar thanks to Jean-Daniel Rohr,12 to those in Boulogne-sur-Mer,13 as well as to the relics of rebel chief Pakoko in Cannes.14
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