24 Bernice P. Bishop Museum — Bulletin 



at independently by members of the Museum staff working in widely 

 separated fields with no opportunity for consultation. It is regarded as a 

 very important contribution to the method of attack on the Polynesian 

 problem. Another contribution is the definition of characteristics and 

 elements belonging to the respective types and cultures — a prerequisite to 

 comparative studies. 



The archaeological work of the Bayard Doniinick E.xpedition reveals 

 no very ancient human habitation in the central and south Pacific. 

 For the Polynesian settlement the evidence serves to substantiate the con- 

 clusions of William Churchill, based on linguistic and cultural study. The 

 following dates are considered reasonable estimates : A.D. o, the first 

 important Polynesian migratory movement ; A.D. 600, second migration ; 

 and A.D. 1000, a period of great Polynesian expansion. 



As regards the sources of these racial types and cultural elements 

 and the routes by which they came to Polynesia, the evidence in hand 

 indicates the region of the Malay archiperago (Indonesia) and southeast 

 Asia as that from which the Polynesian ancestors began their eastward 

 drift. There is no evidence of definite migrations to or from the Ameri- 

 can continents. 



The Bayard Dominick Expedition is the most comprehensive investi- 

 gation so far made of any Pacific people : it has filled in gaps and expanded 

 the boundaries of the knowledge of the Polynesian race. It is believed 

 that the publications resulting from the two years of intensive study will 

 serve as a basis for intelligent criticism of the observations and theories of 

 previous workers and a giiide for later detailed studies. 



H.\w.\iiAN Provkrbs 



The ]iaper by E. E. CoUocotl. "Proverbial sayings of the Tongans" 

 (Occ. Papers, Vol. VIII, No. 3, 1922) has proved to be of interest not 

 only for its intrinsic merit, but also as a demonstration of a method of 

 presenting the philosophy and guiding thoughts of a people. It has 

 seemed, therefore, desirable to arrange for the preparation of similar 

 papers based on material from other groups of the Polj'uesian race. 



For Hawaiian proverbs a nucleus exists in a manuscript by the late 

 Dr. N. B. Emerson, presented to the Museum by Mrs. Sarah B. Emerson. 

 A considerable number of proverbs has been supplied through the generous 

 co-operation of Mr. Theodore Kelsey and his co-workers. Other proverbs 

 and connundrums have been supplied by Mrs. E. A. Nawahi, Mrs. Lahi- 

 lahi Webb, and Mr. Albert Judd. It is hoped that the Museum will re- 

 ceive contributions from many other sources. 



