Source and Mii:;rafion of flic PolyncsiaJi Race. 2^5 



fetishism were inextricalily mixed up in their religious conceptions, and while the two 

 latter were the ordinary practice of everyday life for, at least, the last thirty genera- 

 tions of their abode in the Pacific, yet glimpses of the former were retained in their 

 memory and hoarded as deposits "mai ka Po mai" — from a hoary antiquity — by their 

 kilos, kaulas and kahunas (prophets and priests). Hence their diversity of worship: 

 some tribes making Kanaloa, some Kane, some Kali, some Atea the chief of their dei- 

 ties and the originator of all things. Hence some tribes continued the Arab practice of 

 circumcision, while others did not. Hence the Arab institution in social life of inde- 

 pendent yet confederated communes among some tribes, while the monarchial or feudal 

 system obtained among others. Hence the Arabic type of truncated pyramids in the 

 shape of their temples, side by side with the Hindu practice of promenading their god 

 in gorgeous processions. Hence while the Arab doctrine of a primal chaos is retained by 

 nearly all the Polynesian tribes, some still retain the Braminical doctrine of the World- 

 egg. So far as I am acquainted only one of the Polynesian tribes designates itself by a 

 national name, other than that of the habitat or country which thev occupy, and that is 

 the Southern IMarquesans. They call themselves the nation or tribe of the Take — ic 

 Take. Now this word, allowing for the Polynesian pronunciation, is identical with 

 Tasi, an ancient national name, by whicli Iranian writers designated the Arabs of South- 

 ern and Eastern Arabia, from Yemen to Irak-Arabi; and their progenitor was called 

 "Taz," probably representing "Tasm," one of the twelve original tribes of the old Cushite 

 race, according to Arabian traditions. The name occurs again in Thas-os, an island 

 in the ^Egean, off the coast of Thrace, which, according to Herodotus, was colonized by 

 the Phoenicians and called after their leader Thas-us. This Phoenician origin and name 

 connects it with the great Cushite family in race and language of which the Phoeni- 

 cians formed so conspicuous a branch. The same word occurs again in "Desi," a name 

 by which the Sanskrit writers designated the language of the people who occupied India 

 before the Aryans entered it. This word occurs again in "Dasyus," a name by which the 

 Sanskrit speaking Aryans designated the non-Aryan population of India, who were also 

 called by them "Rakshasha" and "Mlechcha," the latter of which words still survives 

 in the Polynesian iitaloka and with the same meaning — impious, profane — as in the 

 Sanskrit. 



The inhabitants of the ])lateau of Moldi, opposite the Island of Massua, on the 

 coast of Abyssinia, being of the pure Greek race and speaking the Tigrai dialect of 

 the old Ethiopian, are called Khasi by the Arabs, signifying "unaltered, pure." 



The word take, as expressing a nation or race, exists in other Polynesian dialects 

 under the form of tac, tai or kai, which in the Marquesan itself is used interchangeably 

 with the former. Thus we find Ani-tai and Ahee-tai for Anitake and Ahee-take. In 

 the Tonga group tai is a common expression to designate a race, people or generation — 

 Kai-Fiti, Viti people, Kai-Tonga, Tonga people, etc. In Hawaiian we find Kakai, a 

 family including servants and dependents. 



In the Hindu legend of Arachandran,* the perfect man, it is said that when he had 

 been tormented and tried and driven out of his kingdom, he started to go to the coun- 



'I. Roberts' Orient Illustrated, p. 259. 



