315 



[This paper was supplemented by lists of words showing the relation 

 between the Maori and the Sanskrit, English, German, Greek, Latin, and 

 Moorish languages, and the author makes the following concluding remarks] : — 



Having furnished the foregoing comparison, I would only observe further 

 that I believe a comprehensive study of the Polynesian dialects, and especially 

 of the Maori (which, from natural causes, I think has been the most con- 

 servative of them all), will throw a light even on many of what are considered 

 pure English etymologies. The first step in such a study should be a careful 

 and cautious inter-comparison of the different dialects, so as to recover forms 

 which some had lost and othei's retained, and also, where the forms varied to 

 decide by weight of votes upon a standard of antiquity. 



It is a fortunate circumstance for the comparative philologist that the people 

 speaking the Polynesian language have been so long scattered and efficiently 

 isolated. It partly makes i\j) for the want of the written records which enable 

 the study of the European languages to be made with such certainty. 



Art. LX.- — On an Adaptation of Water Poioer. By J. C. Crawford, F.G.S. 



[Read before the WelUngton Philosophical Society, August 20, 1S70.] 



As lately I was anxious to ascertain if I could command a sufficient water 

 power for working flax, and finding that, in the opinion of competent persons, 

 the supply of water in the proposed locality was insufficient, it struck me that 

 if advantage should be taken of the wind power to be obtained in pumping up 

 water, day and night, on Sundays and holidays, into a reservoir sufficiently 

 elevated, an auxiliary head of water might be obtained sufficient for the power 

 required. I mentioned this idea to persons skilled in machinery, biit did not 

 receive encouragement. It was, therefore, with some satisfaction that I found 

 the following information on the subject in the May number of the Country 

 Gentleman s Magazine for the present year. 



" In a I'ecent article we gave a few remarks upon water power, with special 

 refei'ence to the turbine, an appliance which would, in many instances, be 

 specially useful on a farm where no great extent of power is generally 

 required. Thus, in many farms a power equal to that of two horses, or even 

 less, would be of great use in cutting straw, giinding meal, pulping roots, and 

 the like. Now, a very small and cheap turbine would give out this amount 

 of power. Of course, a supply of water with some height of fall is necessary, 

 but where the fall is not attainable by the natural position of the ground iipon 

 which the farm is built, it might be worth while to consider a mode of working 

 very frequently adojjted in America. This method consists in erecting a 

 windmill, which is so arranged as to be self-acting, always turning to the 

 direction of the wind, and thus ready to act at all times when the wind blows 



