may have been borrowed from the Chinese, but this would
afford no proof that they are descended from that people.
“ Had they descended from the Japanese, their language
would display some traces of the speech of Nippon. But
only two words were found by us in their vocabulary which
bore any resemblance to the Japanese. Twenty: were exactly
or nearly like that of Tonga, and Kadou, who was born at
OuleaiV could converse quite easily with the .Sandwich ^slanders
after some days’ intercourse with them.” It is certain,
according to Liitke, that the language of the Caroline Archipelago
is a cognate dialect of the Polynesian, and of the
same stock as the idiom of the Tonga, Tahitian, and Hawaiian
islanders. Their pantomimic dances, vthe>use of seka
in the place of kava, various habits which resemble 4he Polynesian
nations, an d , particularly; the Tongaus, their pagsien
for long, voyages, their observation of the stars,?of .ipaar
periods, their divisions- of the horizon, are traits which.tend
strongly to confirm the same opinion. Cap.tain L'utkO ,concludes
that all these indications prove an Indian, mganiytcr
probably a Malayan or Javan origin.
I t appears evident that the Micronesian islanders are a
branch of the Malayo-Polynesian stock, and that their manners:
haye been modified by some, foreign intercourse. It is
probable rth a t they are more nearly alliedntos the Tagalas and
other races of the Philippines than to the Oceanic Polynesians,.
but many points in their history require' further , elucidation.^
- * The late M. depreycmet had prepared materials for^ dictionary of the
Marian language, which, if he had completed it, would have furnished ample
means of comparing the idiom of this race with the Polynesian dialects. I
have seen a part of this work i d ‘his hands'seme years ago, but I believe it
has ndr been- published, jf may observe that by M. de Freycinety wh&se
published work contains some small specimens of it, the idiom of the Marian
islanders w^s considered as allied:;to.U]be,Tagala, but as constituting a . particular
language having peculiarities greater than properly belong , to a mere
dialect. I believe the American voyagers have collected 'much information
respecting® language of tbgCaroline islands, which has not reached 'ibis
country.
CHAPTER VII.
* MAÏ.E’CAS'SlAN' ; N A-^TONS, ‘ OR
NATIVE INHABITANTS OF T «E iSfc&ND OF MADAGASCAR.
Section I.-^-Oeoff^apMcaV SiwvëÿtfMtidûfasmr âiïM of the
"'StiêdivM&ffîof fh 0 Islà h d Ji!i
The island of Madagascar is" |)artïeûlar1y iBtëréstitig in an
ëtbnolOgieé® * point Of view from3 thëlfcmarkRbldfa#! that it
édtitëîns & colonyëf
Sd'R^ifeliëîvel'ÿ’ bvër the IndianseOâ âtid thfe^rfeâ# Southern
dccanv I
The great island of Madëpèéër^# "éithMté^£M §hè!‘ ïnÈiëti,
or rather the-Indo-AMcatiTJ colin; undêf ;thëysouthern tfopie,
but ^néi|Ml1yiWthè northward (èi’ th a t!;MAë, réàctari^ î:from
1 # 1 9 ^ r®8^,4S' 'Si'E.; and ly ü ^ 'in^Adiredti^ to
the Opposite eàStèrA>’çOastiofJJAfrièë?j fp6Tn t^hieh it'’te eepa-
të ^ d ’by thë'chaôtiêl'bf M o z a m b i q u e , ' breadth.
The lëngtffbf Êlte^Màtid is Estimated èPSQô Mëghel^^ts^ïAëan
breadth at 40 leagues, and its surface at 25,OOtP square
leagues.* Mr. Ellis says that from its northern point. Cape
Ambre, to it's southern extremity, Cape i§t‘. Mary, Madagascar
is in length about 9QÛ milgs, and that the breadth of
the southern part of this island is abouf 300 miles, .that of the
middle part 409; while the northein pat^isr considerably
narrower. If
ï;!ÊIMadagësear was dfèc^eÿëff bÿ! the PBî|ïïifelS/fi!i 1506,
| ^ r e iM(ïè';by that
enterprising people to cplopise or possess gny part of i t . . As
* Notice'Statistique sur les Possessions Françaises à Madagascar, Paris.
Imprtmérie Royale, 1840. ,