Prinuis.— Civilization of the Pacific. 59 
these particulars they differ widely from the Malay." On the border line, 
where the two races are in constant communication, the one is quite a 
contrast to the other, and yet it was long believed that the Polynesian came 
from Malaysia. 
But the difficulty of deriving the joyous islander from apathetic Malay 
is as nothing compared with covering the islands of the Pacific with vegeta- 
tion from the same country as the Malay race. Not only trees like the 
cocoa-nut and sago palm, and sugar cane and cotton tree, which are found 
in the East Indies, but also trees like the karaka and kowhai, that are not 
found there. On the authority of Seeman, the Fijians did not know 
that food could be obtained from the sago palm, and they constantly cut 
down the tree to clear the ground for yam plantation. Nor did they know 
how to obtain a strong drink from the unexpanded flower of the coaoa-nut 
palm. Both of which they would have known had they come from 
Malaysia. 
It is worthy of remark that it is only since we have awakened a the 
conviction that we do not know all about the origin of the Polynesians, 
that the present zeal has been shown for collecting their traditions, preserv- 
ing their works of art, and carefully ascertaining their knowledge of the 
properties and uses of plants. 
Authorities for this Paper :—“ Navigation of the Pacific,” Capt. A. B. Beecher; *“ Coral 
Reefs; Naturalist’s Voyage," Darwin; ** Corals and Coral Islands," Dana; “ Studies 
in Animal Kingdom,” Agassiz; “Flora Vitiensis," Berthold Seeman; ‘ Malay 
Archipelago,” Wallace; “ Researches in Polynesia,” Rev. W. Ellis; ** The Conquest 
of Mexico,” Prescott. 
Arr. VII.—Civilization of the Pacific. By Mr. Coteman Pms, 
Auckland. 
[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, October 14th, 1876.] 
Preliminary Remarks. 
The greater portion of the following paper was read before the Royal 
Colonial Institute in London in March last, The writer has since slightly 
altered and added to it in order to bring it down to date. The civilization 
of the Pacific should be at the present time an interesting subject for discus- 
sion. We have lately added Fiji to our colonial dominions. France is 
acquiring a firm foothold in the South Seas, and is rapidly peopling New 
Caledonia with convicts. Germany and America are becoming interested in 
some of the groups of fertile islands. War vessels of all nations are cruising 
amongst them, ready at any moment to plant the flag of the particular 
country which they represent, and indelibly mark their name upon the page 
