Vavux.—On the Probable Origin of the Maori Races. 27 
other students, on the spot, to follow up these matters, in greater detail,— 
and, as certainly, to correct many errors into which I have myself surely 
fallen, in my desire to call attention to those things, which seem to me of 
most interest and importance in the languages I have been able to examine. 
The general result, I am convinced will be, a complete and satisfactory 
proof to all who have time or patience to follow up the steps of the 
argument, that over a wide range of the Pacific Ocean, including the 
Sandwich Islands on the extreme north, and New Zealand and Madagascar 
to the south and south-west, are still to be found ample remains—the 
“‘ disjecta membra’’—of one original language. It may, perhaps, also tend 
to the solution of the ultimate and still more interesting question, whence, 
at a remote period, the forefathers of the present occupants of these islands, 
themselves, emigrated, I venture to add must have emigrated—for, in point 
of fact, Crawfurd’s ‘ autochthones’” theory is far more difficult of 
comprehension. Given sufficient time, and, here, I have no evidence against 
me, even though I am not able to produce evidence in my favour which 
will convince other people ; there is no difficulty, whatever, in conceiving 
a continued emigration from the Hast (if Mr. Ellis’ theory be preferred), 
or from the West, which I hope, hereafter, to show is of the two the more 
probable. 
I think it highly probable that the researches of Mr. Thomson combined 
with the few matters I have, myself, been able to note down in the 
following pages, may, if more fully carried out by individual scholars at 
Rarotonga, Manganevu, etc., and, at perhaps, other less known islands, form 
a useful manual for future and more advanced study ; or, at all events, a 
tolerably accurate record of our present knowledge of these islands, so far, 
at least, as their languages are concerned. It is, I think, a work that 
ought not to be delayed, as contact with European civilization—with its 
languages—together with the natural influence of trade, must every year 
modify, considerably, the native tongues. Mr. Logan (Ind. Arch.,” 
Vol. IV., p. 272) says ‘I saw, lately, some Honolulu youths at Singapore 
for the first time. Their thoroughly English dress, manners, and speech, 
were calculated to make a strong impression, after a perusal of the account 
of Cook’s reception and death at Hawaii in 1779.” I feel myself certain, 
that, not many centuries will elapse, ere Tahitian, Fiji (or Viti), and 
Maori, will be as much things of the past, as Cornish is now in England. 
With the extinction of these languages, it is not too much to say, that 
though “race characteristics may best go down in blood” (Whitney, “ Life 
and Growth of Language,”’) we shall lose an invaluable aid in our endeav- 
ours to trace out the “ whence” of the Maoris. 
