Half -Light over Warm Seas 115 



ward into the Pacific, became known to us as the Polynesians. Next 

 came a mixed Mongolo-Caucasian group derived from southeast 

 Asia which we call the Indonesians, or Pre-Malays, who are still 

 found in the form of the Dyaks of Borneo and the Battas of Su- 

 matra. Finally came the true Malays. 



Although there are many indications that both the Pre-Malays 

 and the true Malays have followed the whale at various times, there 

 are no reliable historical accounts of their efforts. Matters are un- 

 fortunately little better regarding the Polynesians, but we have defi- 

 nite evidence that these people carried on regular whaling industries 

 at several points throughout the South Pacific, notably in the Fijis, 

 in New Zealand, and possibly in Hawaii. Certain whale products 

 are held in the highest esteem and are even revered in the Fijis, 

 so that a sperm whale's tooth is still considered there the most valu- 

 able official present that can be offered to visiting dignitaries, and 

 one was bestowed upon Queen EHzabeth of England when she vis- 

 ited those islands in 1953. Further, the early records of the Maoris 

 mention their use of all manner of artifacts made from whale bone, 

 whale's teeth, and even from baleen. Unfortunately, we have no 

 proper record or account of these Polynesian efforts, especially dur- 

 ing the early period which we are now investigating. Turning to 

 the North Pacific, however, we encounter quite a different state of 

 affairs and one of enormous interest to our main theme. 



Due to the presence of a tremendous warm current called the 

 Kuro Siwo which flows up the east coast of Asia from the hot tropi- 

 cal waters of Indonesia — just as the Gulf Stream does up the eas 

 coast of North America — a moderate climate extends to the south 

 ern islands of Japan and then swings out to the east and crosses the 

 ocean to bathe the western shores of what is now Canada. How- 

 ever, as in the North Atlantic, a contrary cold current creeps down 

 from the Arctic inside this Kuro Siwo, reaching to the northern 

 shores of Japan, while a tenuous thread of cold water clings to 

 the west coast of North America also. As will be seen from the 

 end-paper map, whaling (as opposed to sperming) grounds all lie in 

 these cold currents, and mostly where they are wedged, or thrust 

 into corners, between land masses and hot currents. This is where 

 the food of the whales is most abundant. 



Now the wedges of cold water in the North Pacific have always 



