Sandwich Islands. The nations who* speak these languages
have laws ofsOciety* and institutions which separate them
from the class of absolute barbarians. They have* For example,
a systematic plan of civil government, religious ordi*
nances* and a sort of spiritual or sacerdotal caste: they display
skill in various manufactures andrin the art of navigation,;
to which they are all addicted. Traces are found among
them jih various quarters of a sacred or hieratic language.
Their habit of recalling to memory on particular solemn occasions
the antiquated expressions of this language indicates
n regard to history and the recording of pafct times which
belongs to ages of. mental refinement. The Polyhesian na^
tions, properly so termed, are ignorant of alphabetic writing,
and had, therefore, no literature j but tlhiy:jhadicpitivated
an impressive' eloquence and a sort of poetry founded on a
regular and artificial system of tones, and theydvad proverbial
maxims indicative of deep reflection.; With all thesC marks
of improvement they stall retained custom&iof the^most re-^
volting. description, and such as appear incompatible with
any advancement towards real civilisation. The languages
and the habits of the Polynesian tribes afford-, -as«.! in* the
opinion of M. de Humboldt, a picture or speeimen of the
condition of society and' manner of existence Jonce scoramorr
to the whole Malayo-Polynesian family of nations, in their
more simple and more ancient and probably their original
state..
Besides the four principal Polynesian groupes already mentioned,
vizr'the people of New Zealand, the Tahitian/ Tongan,
and Sandwich Islands, there are several dusters' or separate
islands in. the remote regions of the Pacific Ocean who- clearly
belong, to the same department of the race, though it may
not be easy to say always to which branch they are most
nearly rallied. I shall describe them nearly in the order of
their local proximity to each groupe. Among them are the
natives of the Archipelago of Paumotu, perhaps belonging
to the Tahitian division.
Two other subdivisions of people more or less nearly allied
to the same family remain to be distinguished. To the westward
of the Tonga Islands is the Fijian or Vi-tian groupe/ the
natives'of which, though differing feom 'the rest of the stock,
yet“-speak a Polynesian dialect. To the northward of the
equator and; WesfWUrd iof the meridian of the Tonga Isles,
several dusters of greater or less extent are spread through
the regióti intervening between’ this limit and the Philippine
Isles. The most extensive among them are the Archipelago of
thé' Carolines and thabof the Marian Isles. A I shall comprise
all' these groupes-undert -the-name of the Micronesian Archipelago,
which will be explained;in its proper place.*
S ectio n II . — O f ike N a tu r e o fth eA ffin ity d is e om r e i between,
. . the Malayo^Polynesiun Languages, and o f 1 the different
4 Opinions as to its Origin.
The existence of so remarkable a connection between the
idioms of nations separated ffbiii each other by wide sèas,
and inhabiting; islands at the remote and almost extreme
parts of the Great Southern Ocean, admitsrof two explanations,
each of which 'has found udvoeirtes.' The most obvious
supposition is that these, islands were first pëoplèd by families
emigrating from one spot Jand originating*‘from the sanïö
stock. This is the i hypothesis that was adopted by thé first
voyagers who observed the phenomena. of resemblance, and
maintained by Mr. Marsden, who first investigated with accuracy
the history of the Indian Archipelago. By Marsden
the ; insular nations were considered as* colonies: from the
original Malays whose abode was in the- Island * of Sumatra;,
Their common speech was termed by him the Great Polynesian
language. The idioms of all the islanders were supposed
to have become diversified through lapse of time and various
accidents, but to have been originally the same. He thus
expresses himself.
Ui The idiom, of the Malays is a branch • or dialect of thé
widely extended language prevailing- throughout the islands
of the Archipelago to which it gives namd, (which may be
undérstood to comprehend thé • Sunda, P hilippinfe, and Molucca
Islands,; and those of the South Sêa; comprehending
between Madagascar on the one hand, and Easter Island on