476 



AUSTEALASIA. 



The various idioms current in Eastern Polynesia all spring from one stock and 

 are still closely related to each other both in structure and vocabulary. More 

 distantly akin to the Malay family, they represent an older period of development, 

 and would seem to imply greater racial purity on the part of the Polynesians them- 

 selves. They are poor in sounds, but soft and harmonious, no syllable ending in a 



Fig". 209. — Tattooed Native of the Maeqitesas Islands. 



consonant, and the vowels everywhere predominating. Till lately almost unm- 

 flected, they have in recent years been considerably modified by the missionaries 

 ignorant of their true genius, and are now largely affected by English words and 

 expressions. 



Tattooing was widespread, and so highly developed that the artistic designs 



