BY WILLIAM E. ARMIT, F.L.S. 3 
dialects, which I submit to the Society merely as an earnest of 
future and more complete contributions. 
Commencing at Dinner Island (Samarang), we have a 
language which is spoken by the people of Hayter Island 
(Sariba), Blanchard Island (Dou-in), Heath Island (Logeé-a), 
the Dumoulin Islands, and Teste, Bentley, and Kitai Islands. 
The last named Island hes within a couple of miles of the 
eastern extremity of Moresby Island, yet the language is distinct 
from that spoken on the latter The inhabitants of Milne Bay 
(Maiwarra and Wagga-Wagga), speak the same language as 
those of Moresby Island (Basilac), although Hayter and Basil- 
isk Island intervene, while those of the last named have an 
entirely distinct dialect, differing from any of those in use 
around them, although their Island which they call Adea or 
Sidea, is wedged in tightly between Hayter and Moresby 
Islands, whose inhabitants, as I have pointed out, speak different 
languages. 
The people of Normanby, Lydia, and Ferguson Islands, all 
have their own dialects, in fact, on the first named, | was in- 
formed that there were several distinct tribes and hence also 
dialects. This distribution of language is very remarkable. It 
will be seen more plainly by glancing at a chart of the region 
under consideration. 
Dinner, Blanchard, Heath, and Hayter Islands form a cluster. 
The Dumoulin Islands le twenty miles tothe 8. E., and Teste 
Island still further east. Bentley Island we find lying east of 
the extremity of Moresby Island, close to which nestles Kitai, a 
mere speck on the map, The inhabitants of all these speak one 
tongue. Those of Moresby Island use a dialect spoken on the 
mainland of New Gujnea, and may be an offshoot of the 
Maiwarra tribe. 
I cannot understand the origin of the dialect of the Basilisk 
Islanders, who differ very widely from their neighbours, 
being warlike and aggressive. They are also physically finer 
