Islands, stretching from New Ireland to St. Christoval, which
is the last or southernmost of the Arsacides, by a line
drawn straight from that island to Australia del Espiritu
Santo, and thence by the chain of the New Hebrides. A
considerable interval lies between this line and the meridian
of the Tonga Isles, which may be considered as- the limit of
Polynesia towards the west. In this interval there are some
groupes of islands: we find, as might be expected, Polynesian
tribes .in some of them, and in others black races. What is
remarkable is the fact that the black races speak Polynesian
dialects. It would seem easy to explain this by an obvious
conjecture that the people of these islands are a mixed race;
but the subject is more difficult when we proceed to the
investigation.
Paragraph 1. Groupe of Vanikoro, Tikopia, and the
neighbouring Islands.
A chain of islands and reefs stretches nearly eastward from
Nitendi or Santa Cruz, which is at no great distance from the
Island of Christoval towards the Hamoan Archipelago. It
consists partly of submarine islands, and may be reckoned
to extend from Nitendi to Rotouma. Next to Nitendi the
Island of Vanikoro, celebrated from the fate of the excellent
La Pérouse, and that of Tikopia, are the most noted. 4
Tikopia is inhabited by a race who speak the Polynesian
language, and resemble that people in physical characters.*
Vanikoro is a groupe of islands of more singular interest.
It consists of three islands of unequal extent surrounded by
coral reefs. On these reefs it appears that La Pérouse perished.
The interior is a vast and impenetrable forest. The
sea-coast is inhabited by a black race, who cultivate the taro,
iguamas, bananas, and the kava. The following is the description
of these people by M. d’Urville. .
“ We have already said that the inhabitants of Vanikoro
belong to the black race of the Great Ocean. They may be
* D’Urville.
eoppidfsj^'gs: a)variety jofsthfilt vr&ele i©fihl^eker^caiou® 4han
Others, - ^ d iFof};a:RC^fQlli®afenjappmadhiMg more »nearly to
th%k^fpf^eft|i^^B9#.ujTb$y--il'eagifoe8aBy! small and rather
rneagpfji Whatisi na^t i|^mafkablej*i)tctlaac«hapeib annap^-
pearange of- lateraf|eomp»essi@»xlafedhe* temples* produced
by ip g ^ r^ ap h ^ tfb rw a rd protuberance'' ofe^fesfmiddlef'pafrt
.-?The ;-hap.i\‘ UoesasSiataditli^Bifi®! the
fpiehe%dj; and; thes -cave; taken to ,th^©wwit'b«te?ifenders all
these parts^wery ydsifofeirt The cheek-bsnes hmsgisahentrgive
tb%#tffh^ great^r^deyclopeirient| than that of the-cranium.
Another -character noteless rcmarkahle isithef/sraall projection
of tlie|ina^al bQne&>riwhkhft«giivesKthe -neee an mppearanceof
bemg^attetiedrat fits roots* and lp thei eosintenancen singular
resemblance. to that of the or'ang utang. Owinieforttliis A e
orbital arch, itself prominent, appears still more projecting.
The nostrils are wide, and are rendered still mb re | so- by the
custqjn weeing?1 a stick *fix ^ btruu^tersf4ys4h^ugh%he
septum nariutn. The§ lower;jayx is not^’emarkable. The form
of the forehead causes the facial angle to be not particularly
aoufce^'fThedobesof; th ©ears' areper&rate&»hp ^holmlalge
enhugfedo; pass the hand through -it. m^4a#gey
oval, and deeply-setf the:;bahs sahenkc»^sdy%ad ^eSen:M!ngi
in form andncolour those of the Negro*- The lipsmedargm thm
chin small,- The lower extremities aredn so]he®^aiicee very
leaner but trfer&blyffieshy in (tiers; The calf afeM»afa&r high-
and the heelnife in? many'individuals ^maikkbly
aucharacteri not existing In the 'Polynesran race to the same
extent*-. This is another £approximation? to* th6 b ^ ro i^ T h e
hak im crisps t but although notcuty it never b^omes- hushed
and Emssivmn . They are nearly riaked» Thmuse Of the betel-
root destroy^ their teeth, and gives them a red“tin^r-^uhd
the mouth;- 1 The women are horribly ugly ; the old men are
bald.
“ These people,1 like’ all thosewh© inhabit; the same- latitudes,
are subject to leprosy,, which- often ’assumes the-form
of elephantiasis.-
(< What-can we say respecting the religion of a people with
whom we could with difficulty exchange some ideas relating
to physical wants ? They appear to have no external form
VOL. V. B