XIX POLYNESIANS AND, THEIR MIGRATIONS 403 



The least approach to wavy or curly hair is never found 

 among the unmixed Malays. I cannot find evidence that 

 the Polynesians ever have this character of hair, while it is 

 not unfrequently as frizzly as the most decided Papuans, 

 but that is no doubt due to intermixture. Again, the 

 mental character of two races in a parallel state of civili- 

 zation and inhabiting very similar countries, is surely of 

 great importance ; yet, what contrast can be greater than 

 between the phlegmatic, suspicious, undemonstrative 

 Malay, and the active, frank, and joyous Tahitian ? Are 

 we to throw down all these barriers of diversity for the 

 sake of solving by main force a problem that is probably 

 insoluble ? 



We ought not to expect that the beginnings of every 

 race can be discovered within the short epoch of human 

 history or tradition, and we have every reason to be 

 suspicious of the theory that professes such a discovery. 

 In the present case, the very erroneous views prevalent 

 on the subject arise from two causes. One is the 

 occurrence of a number of Malay words in the Polynesian 

 language ; the other, the similarity of the brown tint of 

 the Malays and Polynesians, while they are separated by 

 a group of people of a much darker colour. The 

 similarity of tint has led many travellers in the one area 

 to jump to the conclusion that the people of the other 

 area, of which they have little knowledge, are the same 

 race. It unfortunately happens that not a single traveller 

 appears to be well acquainted with both races, and for 

 that reason their opinions as to the similarity of the two 

 should be received with great doubt. If, on the contrary, 

 my account of the physical and mental characteristics of 

 the Malays be taken as correct (and I resided among 

 them for eight years), and if it be compared with that of 

 the Polynesians given by Cook, and by recent travellers 

 and missionaries, the differences will be seen to be so 

 striking and radical, that all idea of their being the same 

 race must be given up. In the case of the Malays in 

 particular, much confusion has arisen from travellers 

 having confounded with them the many peoples of 

 distinct race which inhabit the eastern parts of the 



D D 2 



