OCEANIC MIGRATIONS. 149 



ham Island must not be confounded with the New Zealanders who 

 have lately been carried thither by trading vessels, and who are now 

 probably in possession of a great portion of the island. 



FAKAAFO, OR THE UNION GROUP. 



As the conclusions with regard to the origin of the natives of this 

 group, and those of Vaitupu, are based upon the facts stated in my 

 journal, it has been thought best to give them in full, as written at the 

 time ; and as these two groups are probably the only ones in which 

 the Polynesian race is now to be seen in its primitive state, these 

 extracts may be otherwise interesting, more especially as showing the 

 grade of civilization which has been attained by such small and 

 isolated communities, under the peculiar disadvantages arising from 

 the nature of the islands which they inhabit. 



" Monday, January 25, 1841. At daylight we were in sight of a 

 low island which is laid down in this position, with the name of the 

 Duke of York's Island. It was so called by Admiral Byron, who 

 discovered it in the year 1765, on his way to the Ladrones. As we 

 approached, its appearance brought to mind another of Lord Byron's 

 discoveries, the largest Disappointment Island, to which it bore a 

 strong resemblance. It was an oblong ring of small coral islets, linked 

 together by reefs, and surrounding a lagoon. Most of the islands 

 were well wooded, and one in particular was covered with a dense 

 forest of cocoa-nut trees. From this circumstance, and from the 

 small number of birds about the ship, we were disposed to believe 

 that the island might prove to be inhabited, notwithstanding the 

 contrary statement of its discoverer. We were not, therefore, sur- 

 prised, when a column of smoke, ascending from one of the islets, 

 gave evidence of the presence of natives. 



" The vessels took their stations for surveying, and we were slowly 

 standing along the island, when three canoes put off towards the ship. 

 The mizzen-topsail was backed, to allow them to come up with us, 

 which they did in a style that again reminded us of the Disappoint- 

 ment Islands ;* for they broke out into an uproarious song or cantila- 



* Extract from journal at the Disappointment Islands : " On throwing a small present 

 into one of the canoes which was alongside, the giver was rewarded by a song of gratitude, 

 which two of the natives immediately commenced. It was a monotonous but not unme- 

 lodious chant, and reminded us of the tones of the Catholic service." Some natives on 

 shore afterwards evinced their gratitude in the same manner. 



38 



