70 INTRODUCTION TO THE 



considerably exceeds that of the bulk of mankind, 

 will no longer be doubted or disbelieved. And the 

 ingenious objections of the sceptical author of Re- 

 cherches sur les Americai?is*, will weigh nothing in 

 the balance against the concurrent and accurate 

 testimony of Byron, Wallis and Carteret. 



Perhaps there cannot be a more interesting inquiry 

 than to trace the migrations of the various families 

 or tribes that have peopled the globe; and in no re- 

 spect have our late voyages been more fertile in 

 curious discoveries. It was known in general (and I 

 shall use the words of Kaempfert), that the Asiatic 

 nation called Malayans, " in former times had by 

 " much the greatest trade in the Indies, and fre- 

 " quented with their merchant ships, not only all the 

 " coasts of Asia, but ventured even over to the coasts 

 " of Africa, particularly to the great island of Mada- 

 " gascar.t The title which the king of the Malayans 

 " assumed to himself, of Lord of the Winds and Seas 

 " to the East and to the West, is an evident proof of 

 this; but much more the Malayan language, which 

 spread most all over the east, much after the same 

 manner as formerly the Latin, and of late the 

 " French, did all over Europe." Thus far, I say, 

 was known. But that from Madagascar to the Mar- 

 queses and Easter Island, that is, nearly from the east 

 side of Africa, till we approach towards the west side 

 of America, a space including above half the circum- 



* Tom. i. p. 331. 



f History of Japan, vol. i. p. 93. 



| That the Malayans have not only frequented Madagascar, 

 but have also been the progenitors of some of the present race of 

 inhabitants there, is confirmed to us by the testimony of Monsieur 

 de Pages, who visited that island so late as 1774. " lis m'ont 

 " paru provenir des diverses Races; leur .couleur, leurs cheveux, 

 " et leur corps l'indiquent. Ceux que je n'ai pas cru originates 

 " des anciens naturels du pays, sont petits et trapus; ils ont les 

 " cheveux presque unis, et sont oliv aires comme les Malayes, avec 

 " qui ils ont, en general, une espece de resemblance. 1 * 



Voijetges des Af. des Pages, T. ii. p. 90. 

 19 





