INSULAR A USTRALASIA. 



1247 





There is no part of the world where there are so many languages within so small an 

 area, or among so few people. There are at least twenty distinct forms of speech, 

 though the Efatese language has various dialects in six or seven contiguous islands. On 

 some islands two, and even 

 three differing tongues have 

 been found. The words are 

 hard, long and full of con- 

 sonants. Every syllable does 

 not end in a vowel as in the 

 Maori language. There are 



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four numbers, single, dual, 

 trinal and plural, and a double 

 we, called by grammarians " we 

 inclusive," and " we exclusive." 

 Perhaps the labours of modern 

 philologists may disclose a 

 common origin of this polyglot 

 speech. Many students of com- 

 parative grammar are now at 

 work, and means are provided 

 for them in the forty Mela- 

 nesian tongues lately published 

 by the Rev. Dr. Codrington, 

 and twelve more added by 

 missionaries in the New 

 Hebrides. The verbs are some- 

 thing like the Hebrew in their 

 moods, as Bishop Paterson 

 pointed out some time ago. 

 The natives reckon by fives, 

 and find it difficult to go 

 beyond the number of fingers 

 and toes. 



The seasons on the New 

 Hebrides may be divided into 

 wet and dry, as is common 

 in tropical lands. The wet 

 season lasts from December to 

 April, when the sun is vertical 

 and rains are abundant. The 

 hydrometer then indicates a 

 perfectly saturated atmosphere. 

 The dry season extends over 

 eight months, when rain is 



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