and for five months paft, themonfoons prevailed in the Chinefe feasj it was thought
beft to proceed weft to the coaft of New Holland, and fo to the northward along
it, in order to find a convenient refreihing place ; then to fearch for the fuppofed
Straits between New Holland and New Guinea, (which, it is thought, admiral
Torrey went through j) and along the north coaft of New Holland, to the ifhnd
of Java ; but, if thefe could not be found, it was propofed to proceed along the
coaft to Dampier’s Straits, which lie between New Guinea and New Britain ; then
to crofs the line, and fail down among the fpice iilands to Java, as we were in
want of many kinds of.provifions, particularly fugar, fait, oil, tea, and tobacco:
ourfpirits alfo very'low: and, as to bread, we had not had any for upwards of fix:
months, and our fails were nearly worn out.
Something has already been mentioned refpedting the language of the New-
Zealanders, and of its affinity to that of the people of .Otaheite; the following
Vocabulary will more fully ihew this agreement, which is a very extraordinary cir-
cumftance, and leads us to conclude that one place was originally peopled from the
other, though they are at near two thoufand miles diftance, and nothing but the
ocean intervenes, at leaft to our knowledge j and fuch a long navigation, we ihould
hardly believe, could be pra&icable in their fmall canoes, the only veflels that they
appear to have ever poflefled i yet what ihould lead too diftindt people, having no
communication with each other, to affix the fame founds to the fame things, would
be hard to account for in any other manner. This opinion is fafther corroborated,
by comparing their cuftoms and manners, as alfo their inftruments of war and
hotifehold uteniils, which will be found to agree in many particulars. The migration
was probably from New-Zealand to Otaheite; as the inhabitants, of the former
'place were totally unacquainted with the ufe of bows and arrows till we firft taught
them; whereas the people of the latter ifiand ufe them with great dexterity, having
doubtlefs diicovered the life of them by fome accident after their feparation; audit
cannot be fuppofed that the New-Zealanders would have loft io beneficial an acquifi-
tion, if they had ever been acquainted with it.
A V o c a b u l a r y ,