Therefore, men of Polynesia and Boston and China and Mount Fuji and the barrios of the Philippines, do not… — James A. Michener
Therefore, men of Polynesia and Boston and China and Mount Fuji and the barrios of the Philippines, do not come to these islands empty-handed, or craven in spirit, or afraid to starve. There is no food here. In these islands there is no certainty. Bring your own food, your own gods, your own flowers and fruits and concepts. For if you come without resources to these islands you will perish... On these harsh terms the islands waited.
Source: Wikiquote · CC BY-SA 4.0
More from this book
It is difficult to be king when the gods are changing.
No man leaves where he is and seeks a distant place unless he is in some respect a failure.
You love the Hawaiians as potential Christians, but you despise them as people. I am proud to say that I have come to exactly the opposite conclusion, and it is therefore appropriate that I should be expelled from a mission where love is not.

