Malayan and Polynesian Languages and Races. 193 



taken place earlier or not, may have taken place, at all events, 

 as early as the epoch of the connection of tho Hindoos with 

 the Indian Ai'chipelago, — a connection, the commencement 

 of which cannot, I think, be placed later than the birth of 

 Christ. 



1 have, finally, to attempt an explanation of the manner 

 in which Malayan words may have found their way into the 

 languages of tlie Pacific. The proportion of Malayan words 

 in the Polynesian, judging by the New Zealand dialect, is no 

 more than 20 in 1000, while in that of tlie Sandwich Islands 

 it does not exceed 17. Except in these few words, there is 

 nothing in common between those who speak the INIalayan 

 language and those who speak the Polynesian. Their races 

 are different, and their languages distinct. 



Conquest and settlement by the Malays, Javanese, or other 

 tribes of the Archipelago, had probably, therefore, nothing 

 to do with the dissemination of the Malayan in tlie languages 

 of the Pacific. I have no doubt, then, that, as in the case of 

 the language of Madagascar, it was brought about by the 

 work of tempest-driven praus or fleets, and gradually, and 

 step by step, from island to island, transmitted, in the course 

 of ages, to the Sandwich Islands nortli of the equator, to 

 New Zealand south of it, and as far as Easter Island. 



The trade-winds are the seeming obstacle to this commu- 

 nication ; but when the question is duly examined, they do 

 not prove to be so. The south-west monsoon, to the north 

 of the equator, extends to the Marianne Islands, and the 

 145° of east longitude ; and the north-west monsoon to the 

 south of the equator, as far castas New Guinea ; while west- 

 erly winds are frequently experienced in the Pacific far to 

 the west of this island. This is the statement of the accu- 

 rate Captain Horsburgb.* 



La Perouse goes farther, and observes, that westerly winds 

 are, at least, as frequent as east in the Pacific in a zone of 

 7° on each side of the equator, and that the winds are so va- 

 riable, that it is little more difficult to make a voyage to the 



* Ilorsburgh's East India Directory. 

 VOL. XI.IV. NO. L.WXVII. — .IAN. 1848. 



