[XL] 

 THE ETHNOLOGY OF FUNAFUTI. 



BY C. HEDLEY, Conchologist. 



INTRODUCTION. 



MUCH of the information conveyed in the " Gqneral Account " 

 could have been included with equal appropriateness in the present 

 chapter ; to it the reader is therefore referred for details not here 

 repeated.* 



The natives of the Ellice Group appear to be closely allied to 

 those of the Phoenix and Union Groups, and also to those of 

 several small outlying islands,! and atolls in the same neighbour- 

 hood, extending perhaps as far as Rotumah and Fotuna. This 

 branch of the Polynesian Race may, for want of a better compre- 

 hensive term, be called the Tokelau People. 



We are much in want of a satisfactory subdivision of the 

 Polynesian Race. The only classification with which I am 

 acquainted is that of Dr. H. Stolpe, based upon ornamental art. 

 Good though this undoubtedly is, yet a broader basis including 

 physique, language, religion, and so on, is required for a sound 

 arrangement. Dr. Stolpe throws the branch here proposed to be 

 called Tokelau into his Province of Tonga-Samoa, from the 

 remainder of which I would clearly distinguish it by, inter alia, 

 the different gods they worshipped and the difference of tattoo. 



The Tokelau People are closely related to the Samoans, whose 

 standard of civilisation is, however, far superior. Either therefore, 

 they have degenerated, as is probable, amid unfavourable surround- 

 ings or they branched from the parent stock before the latter 

 reached the degree of superiority they afterwards attained. 



Glancing for an instant further afield, I would draw attention 

 to many points of resemblance between the Japanese^ and Poly- 

 nesians that have occurred to me; such are their graceful courtesy 



* For an article " The Legendary History of Funafuti," by Prof. W. J. 

 Sollas, see Nature, 11 Feb., 1897. 



t Compare the account given of Fotuna or Home Island. Journ. 

 Polyn. Soc. i., 1892, pp. 33-52; of " Botuma and the Kotumans," 

 Eev. W. Allen. Proc. Aust. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 1895, (1896) p. 569 ; and 

 Lister, '' Notes on the Natives of Fakaofu." Journ. Anthrop. Inst. xxi., 

 1892, p. 43. 



t Trans. Kochdale Lit. and Sci. Soc., iii. 1893, p. 73. 



Polynesian relations to the Corea are noted by Stair. Journ. Polyn. 

 Soc., iv., 1895, p. 55. 



