Ekelof was a lieutenant in the Royal Swedish Navy and joined His (British) Majesty's Ship "Zealous" under the command of rear admiral Hastings in 1866. He writes about his two year journey up the west coast of south and north America, then to the Sandwich Islands and later to Tahiti. The"Zealous", which was powered both by an 800 horse power steam engine and sail, was ordered to the Pacific to relieve the frigate "Sutlej". Ekelof's description of his journey begins with the traversing of the Sound of Magellan. While visiting Vancouver Island he changes ship and continues on the small 17-gun corvette "Alert" built in Sheerness in England in 1856. He remarks that she has a 100 horse power steam engine, as well as "an unusually difficult frigate rigging".

"Barely had the thunder of our 21 gun salute to King Kamehameha and the response, laboured and with long pauses, by the artillery in the Battery at Punchbowl Hill, faded away before our deck was filled to capacity with hords of olive complected visitors" begins chapter IV. Ekelof makes a thorough description of the Hawaiian islands, the people, the food, the scenery, the government of the island. The ship's company was invited to a picnic by Queen Emma at Wai-ki-ki. He gives detailed descriptions of the Hawaiian music and even has music notations, both music and words, for some songs.

The full page tinted plates are reproductions of the author' own photographs and water colours. The author is very detail oriented and his descriptions of both people and places are very thorough, and also insightful. He is very curious and also adventurous and makes many "side trips", and also many friends amongst both the common men and the nobles of the peoples they visit. [Forbes Hawaii 2936].