THE POLYNESIANS AND THEIR PLANT-NAMES. 145 



Fiji. Lesson in Kusaie and Forster in Tonga found several 

 varieties nnder cultivation. The natives of Kiwai in British 

 NeAv Guinea, according to Thompson, name as many as 36 

 kinds of cultivated bananas. The numerous varieties of the 

 breadfruit aiford similar evidence. Cuzent and Ellis mention 

 theoccurrence of nearly 50 varieties and sub-varieties in Tahiti, 

 and Kubary observes that the inhabitants of the Hogoleu 

 Islands in the Caroline Group distinguish nearly 60 varieties. 

 Seemann refers to the great number of varieties in Fiji, and 

 gives in 13 cases the names. Turning to the tubers, we 

 learn from Jouan that in New Caledonia there are at least 

 21 varieties of taro under cultivation : in Fiji, as Home states, 

 there are 18 varieties, and in Tahiti, according to Cuzent, at 

 least 13, whilst Elhs says that 33 kinds are named. As 

 regards yams, there are 20 kinds cultivated in Fiji (Home). 

 Facts of this kind abound ; but those here given are sufficient 

 for the purpose.* 



Having thus shown that we have to deal with an ancient 

 culture in these regions, I pass on to consider very briefly 

 the plant-names. Professor Kern some few years since in 

 his brilliant paper on the home of the Malayo-Polynesiau 

 people, before quoted, drew up a list of some of the plants 

 and animals, the knowledge of which the several peoples 

 took with them from their early home. He included here 

 the coco-nut, banana, sugar-cane, pandanus, yam, taro, and 

 one or two other useful plants, and expressed the conviction 

 that a large number of additional plant-names would be 

 found surviving in the original language. If there is nothing 

 else of any value in my paper, I claim to have shown in the 

 accompanying table the correctness of this opinion ; and since 

 this has been accomplished by only a very partial use ot 

 the abundant data that exist in the Dutch publications re- 

 lating to the Archipelago, it follows that there is a promise 

 of results greater still. 



Tliis table has been compiled from materials obtained from 



* A list of authorities for the various facts given in this paper and in 

 the appended table would have been far too lengthy for a paper of this 

 kind. The authorities for the statements in this paragraph are Seemann's 

 Flora Yitiensis ; Ellis' Polynesian Researches ; Lesson's Voyage aiitoiir dxi 

 Monde; Forster's Catalogus Plantarum Esadentum Australice ; Thomson's 

 British Neiv Guinea; Cuzent's Tahiti ; Kubary in Ethnogr. Anthrop. 

 Abtheil. des2Insev.m Godeffroy oi Schmeltz and Krause ; Jouan in Mem. 

 Soc. Sci. Nat. de Cherbourg, tome xi ; Home's Year in Fiji. 



