Teegeak. — Polynesian Knoivledgc of Cattle. 447 



Abt. LX. — The Knowlcd(jc of Cattle amongst the Ancient 



Polynesians. 



By Edwaed Tkegeak, F.E.G.S. 



[Bead before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 17th October, 1888.] 



Plate XXXVI. 



" In the ox is our strength, in the ox is our need ; in the ox is our 

 speech, in the ox is our victory ; in the ox is our food, in the ox is our 

 clothing; in the ox is tillage, that makes food grow for us." — Bahram 

 Yast, XX. (Zend Avesta). 



When, in writing the " Aryan Maori," I expressed the 

 opinion that the Polynesians (Maori) showed in the construc- 

 tion of their language that they had once been acquainted 

 with horned cattle, I laboured under the disadvantage of hav- 

 ing to economize greatly both in time and space. Three years 

 have passed away, during which time I have gained more in- 

 formation, and have considered the friendly and unfriendly 

 suggestions made by critics. I am now in a better position to 

 lay the question fully before the judgment of readers. I am 

 only following the wise example of infinitely greater men by 

 admitting weakness in some past work. Some of the verbal 

 resemblances on which my work was based seem at present 

 (if ever) to be incapable of proof; but the general result of my 

 study has been to confirm my previous impression. I am now 

 able to produce a remarkable and connected mass of facts, 

 which I believe will cause the subject to be considered well 

 worthy of deep attention. 



The first point to be considered is, were the Polynesians 

 autochthonous in the islands of the Pacific ? If they are the 

 true " children of the soil " there is little more to be said on 

 the subject of their knowledge of cattle, since there seems to be 

 no geological or other scientific evidence yet discovered of the 

 existence of cattle in the South Seas before the advent of the 

 Europeans. If we consider the " sunken continent" theory, it 

 is evident that the cattle did not succeed in getting to the 

 summit of the hills (the present islands) as swiftly as the 

 moa, &c. The native traditions are unanimous as to their 

 migration hither ; and, although I am by no means a believer 

 in the verbal inspiration of every native legeud, I hold firmly 

 to the general tenor of the stories telling of their com- 

 paratively late entrance into the Pacific. The Polynesians, 

 according to tradition, arrived in canoes — a fact which would 

 almost preclude the possibility of their having brought any 

 large animals with them. We have, however, allusions in 

 their old songs and traditions to animals of which no relic can 

 now be found. Little has been yet done in collecting such 

 allusions to olden times, and the hours are fast slipping away 



