TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 83 



of all the islands in the Pacific east of the Friendly Islands, including New Zealand 

 on the south and several islands on the west, proves that their inhabitants must have 

 had a common origin. The question therefore presents itself, — In what direction did 

 the tide of population move ? If the Sandwich Islands were first settled, then they 

 must have been settled from America on the east, or from Japan on the west. The 

 distance from either quarter offers no insuperable objections ; for several Japanese 

 junks have drifted on the Sandwich Islands, and the same winds which bring drift 

 wood from America might also have brought boats. But the dissimilarity' between 

 the language, habits and religion of the Hawaiians and the Japanese or Americans, 

 amounts to almost positive evidence that the inhabitants of Hawaii could not have 

 derived their origin from them ; while, on the other hand, the author knew of no facts 

 whatever which favour the idea of such an origin : there are however many facts 

 which favour the idea of their having come from the south and west. 



On the Sandwich Islanders. By Gen. Miller. 



On the Languages of America. By H. R. Schoolcraft. 



It is admitted by philologists, that there are at least three generic languages, differ- 

 ing in their essential character, in that part of North America which lies between the 

 Atlantic coast, the original seat of settlement, and the Mississippi river, extending 

 into British America. Mr. Schoolcraft confined himself to that generic branch of its 

 aboriginal Atlantides to whom the term Algic has been applied. This term em- 

 braces a number of languages, sub-languages and dialects, comprehending the native 

 population of the principal part of the Atlantic coast of the United States, the Ohio 

 and Mississippi valleys, the Valley of the St. Lawrence, the great chain of interior 

 lakes, and extending far into the Canadas and Hudson's Bay. The Algic language 

 is transpositive, eccretive, and highly compound, the constant tendency on the mind 

 of the speaker being to express, along with the original idea, all its adjuncts and qua- 

 lifications. Hence properties as well as things — the object acted on as well as the 

 actor, position as well as number — are constantly associated in the sentences and 

 words, which are uttered with a sententious formality. The tribes do not under- 

 stand each other after a few removes of dialect. The Algic language is regarded as 

 the most copious and harmonious tongue spoken by the North American tribes. 



On the Natives of Guiana. By Chevalier Schomburgk. 



This paper was illustrated by a Macusi youth in his native dress, by several casts 

 of natives met with on his late journey, as well as by several skulls, and by a series 

 of drawings by Mr. Goodall. In 1840 Chevalier Schomburgk estimated the tribes 

 who inhabit the British territory at 7000, but they have since been reduced by small- 

 pox to 6000, but a small population for an area of 100,000 square miles. " It is 

 scarcely necessary to observe," said Chevalier Schomburgk, " that a subject so re- 

 plete with interest as the present state of the aboriginal inhabitants of Guiana de- 

 serves more attention than Great Britain has hitherto afforded it. The history of this 

 people appears to be the end of a tragical drama, for a whole race of men is fast 

 wasting away." 



On the supposed extinct Inhabitants of Neufoundland. By Dr. King. 



Instead of being red men, as has been supposed. Dr. King produced the evidence 

 of Thorsin, the Icelander of the tenth century, Whitbourne, who wrote in 1612, the 

 Abbe Raynal, Lieut. Roger Curtis, and O'Reilly, in support of their being Esqui- 

 maux, and expressed his opinion that Newfoundland was never permanently occu- 

 pied, but merely formed one of their fishing stations. Dr. King observed, that while 

 we have sought for the living inhabitants we have neglected that which remains of 

 the dead ; and that future research would, in all probabilit)', disclose that the New- 

 foundlanders were Esquimaux, which was the result, as far as is known, of the 

 opening of the tumuh at the falls of Niagara. 



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