TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 281 



ning of the present century, or, in other words, before the 

 native traditions had become open to suspicion of being mixed 

 up with a later knowledge of places, acquired from the ex- 

 plorers themselves, or from the visits of the islanders to other 

 lands on board European vessels. The sources of this infor- 

 mation are the traditions, chants, and poetry of the people 

 themselves, of which, happily, many have been preserved to us 

 by the care of the early European residents in the various 

 islands. It is to be regretted, however, that this statement 

 can only be applied to some of the groups. Unfortunately, 

 many of those who had opportunities of securing the vast 

 stores of interesting information relating to the ancient state 

 and knowledge of the Polynesians, have not always availed 

 themselves of the chances which were open to them in the 

 early days of intercourse with the islanders ; and now the time 

 has passed when much can be secured. The knowledge 

 formerly possessed has passed away with the old priests and 

 chiefs, who were the repositories of their histories. Even in 

 the group which earliest of all became best known to us — I 

 refer to the Society Islands — -and about which most has been 

 written, less is known of the ancient chaiits, traditions, and 

 poetry than of many other islands. Fully as we are acquainted 

 with the customs, religion, language, &c., of Tahiti, the tradi- 

 tions and histories as related by the natives themselves have 

 never been given to the world — we have but brief references to 

 them in the works of Ellis, Moerenhout, DeBovis,'" and others. 

 In this respect, perhaps, the Sandwich Islands, the Hervey 

 group, and New Zealand are the only ones where the ancient 

 lore of the people has been preserved in full by the zealous care 

 of a few enlightened individuals, whose names will be for ever 

 honoured for the services they have rendered to science in this 

 respect. 



The subject of the geographical knowledge of the Poly- 

 nesians is, as I have said, intimately connected with the origin 

 of the people, but I do not propose to enter into that question 

 here any further than incidental reference may require. It 

 has already been dealt with very fully from various points of 

 view by several authors, notably by Hale, Quatrefages, For- 

 nander, Fenton, | and others, amongst whom perhaps we ought 



* " Polynesian Researches," by W. Ellis ; 2 vols. ; London, 1829. 

 " Voyages aux lies du Grand Ocean," par J. A. j\Ioercnhout ; 2 vols. ; Paris, 

 1837. " Etat de la Societe Taitienne," par M. do Bovis, Revue Coloniale ; 

 1855. 



t " Ethnology and Philology" of the U.S. Exploring Expedition; 

 Philadelphia, 1846. " Les Polyn6siens et leiirs Migrations," A. Quatre- 

 fages ; 1 vol. 4to ; Paris, 1866. " Les Hommes Fossiles ct les Hommes 

 Sauvages," A. Quatrefages; 1vol. 8vo ; Paris, 1884. " The Polynesian 

 Race," A. Fornander ; .3 vols. Bvo ; London, 1878-85. '• Origin and I\Iigra- 

 tions of the Maori," F. D. Fenton ; 1 vol. 8vo ; Auckland, 188-5. 



