EuTLAND. — History of the Pacific. 11 



both hemispheres. The whole of geographical botany renders 

 the latter hypothesis improbable, I might almost say impos- 

 sible, to admit, especially in a genixs which is not divided 

 between the two worlds." 



I mentioned in the preceding chapter that the kiimara, 

 Convolvulus batatas, an American species, was cultivated 

 throughout Polynesia before the European period, though it 

 had not reached the Malay Archipelago. This necessarily 

 implies an intercourse between some portions of the island 

 region and the continent ; hence that the Peruvians were in 

 possession of the banana before the European discovery of 

 America is extremely probable, for it would only show^ that 

 an interchange of products had taken place between them and 

 the Polynesians. It might be asked, Why did this exchange 

 not go further ? To this, at present, we can give no reply. 

 Eegarding the non-occurrence of the banana in the West 

 Indies, or on the continent outside Peru, we know that, though 

 the potato (Solanutu tuberosum) had been long cultivated in 

 the latter country, it w-as unknown in Mexico, or even in 

 Brazil, at the time of the European invasion; thus it may 

 be seen that, though an interchange of products did take place 

 between the ancient civilized portions of the American Con- 

 tinent, the exchange was either very slow or intermittent. 



To transplant the banana from Polynesia to the shores of 

 America across more than two thousand miles of ocean would 

 overtax the skill and knowledge of any ordinary European 

 gardener ; but for a people who have dispersed this species and 

 the breadfruit through the countless islands that form their 

 home it would be a simple undertaking. What we have really 

 to consider here is : Were the rude inhabitants of Polynesia 

 sufficiently acquainted wdth the arts of navigation and ship- 

 building to be able to perform so perilous a voyage? This 

 question will be considered in another place. 



CocoANUT-PALM {Cocos nucifeva). — The most ancient his- 

 torical notices of the cocoanut are probably those discovered 

 on the walls of the temple at Thebes, erected by Queen 

 Hatasu to commemorate the return of the fleet sent out by 

 her from Port Sais on a voyage of discovery down the Eed 

 Sea.''' This fleet, we are informed, reached the distant land 

 of Punt, from whence cocoanuts and other products of the 

 country were brought back to Egypt. In the bas-reliefs which 

 adorn Queen Hatasu' s temple the residences of the inhabi- 

 tants of Punt are depicted standing upon tall piles and em- 

 bowered in cocoanut-palms. The products of the country not 

 corresponding with those of the Asiatic coast, it has been con- 

 jectured that the land of Punt may have been the Somali 



"Ancient Egypt." Professor G. Rawlinson. 



