106 EMIGRATION TO THE EASTWARD. 



the South-Sea Islanders have chiefly emanated 

 from Asiatic nations. The strongest argument 

 advanced against this opinion is, that the S.E. 

 perennial, or trade winds, would ever be opposed 

 to the nautical progress of the human species to 

 the eastward, within the tropics. The season- 

 able accessions of the N. W. monsoon, however, 

 do not permit this objection to apply to the space 

 intervening between intertropical Asia and the 

 145th degree of east longitude, and I have 

 already had occasion to remark, that westerly 

 winds, (probably an extension of the N. W. mon- 

 soon,) will often prevail from that longitude to the 

 easternmost of the Polynesian islands, for a very 

 protracted period. Such winds are the better 

 calculated, also, to extend population in the di- 

 rection to which they propel, from the circum- 

 stance of their usually blowing in sudden and 

 violent gales, and from their being diametrically 

 opposed to the normal trade-winds, on which 

 Polynesian natives are accustomed to depend 

 for their safe conduct, in canoes, from one to 

 another, and more leewardly, island. These 

 unsophisticated voyagers, upon encountering a 

 contrary and boisterous wind, are unable to 

 make their intended haven ; become confused 

 in their local knowledge; and may thus be 

 driven, in distress, to any remote land to which 

 chance may direct them. 



