70 ETHNOGRAPHY. 



fusedly along the ocean as seed strown in a furrow. There are about 

 a hundred groups, if this name may be applied to the coral rings, or 

 lagoon islands, which consist of numerous small patches of rock, dis- 

 posed in a circular or oval form arid connected by reefs. Of all the 

 groups, only six belong to the class of high islands, and these are all 

 surrounded by extensive reefs. They are the Pelew Islands, the 

 Ladrones, Yap, Hogoleu, Banabe, and Ualau. These, though among 

 the smallest of their class in the Pacific, are important when com- 

 pared with the coral clusters, all of which put together would not 

 probably give three hundred square miles of dry land. If, however, 

 the reefs and lagoons, from which the natives derive a great part of 

 their subsistence, be taken into consideration, the estimate will be 

 greatly enlarged. 



The information which we possess concerning most of these 

 islands is principally derived from the works of former voyagers, par- 

 ticularly Duperrey, D'Urville, Kotzebue, and Liitke, and we shall 

 therefore enter into no further particulars respecting them than will 

 be necessary to illustrate the account which we have to give, from 

 other sources, of a few of the groups. For this purpose the situation 

 of the whole archipelago must be particularly noted. It approaches 

 within twenty degrees of Japan and Loo Choo on the north, within 

 five degrees of the Philippines on the west, has New Guinea and the 

 other Melanesian islands at the same distance on the south, and the 

 Polynesians about as far off to the southeast. It happens, moreover, 

 that winds are common over this region from all these points. The 

 southeast trades blow from the Navigators to the Kingsmill Islands, 

 and extend far north of the equator. In the winter the northwest 

 monsoon comes down from the China Sea, frequently shifting round 

 to the southwest, in which direction the most violent hurricanes occur. 

 At this season of the year large fir-trees, sometimes with their branches 

 and leaves adhering, are driven from some northern region to the 

 Kingsmill Islands, the southernmost of Micronesia, while the 

 southwest storms bring bamboos in like manner from a tropical clime 

 to the same place. 



These observations are important for their bearing on the question 

 of the probable source or sources of the population of these islands. 

 The subject is one which neither our space nor our materials will 

 admit of our discussing in full, and it remains for some future inquirer 

 to trace out, by a comparison of language, physical traits, customs, 

 and traditions, the origin and migrations of the Micronesian tribes. 



