402 Ussc/T/s. 



Again, tediously to fasliion tteir war implements of wlialebone and of jade 

 (green or axe-stone), instead of hardwood, was wholly a new thing to them ; 

 and these substances were only occasionally to be obtained, and that slowly 

 and with great trouble and labour. Could such a change, such an entire 

 revolution — one, too, almost needless — have taken place save in a very long 

 lapse of time ? Moreover, the peculiar carving of all their greenstone 

 breast ornaments (heitiki), which possess great sameness, and which might 

 be correctly styled national, differs from any other Polynesian carving, 

 particularly in the invariably reclined, not erect, head, and in only having 

 three fingers to each hand, which striking peculiarities also invariably obtain 

 in all their old carving : could such a great change in the national taste have 

 taken place in a few generations ? Lastly, the tattooing of their chiefs, 

 which entirely differs from all other Polynesian islanders, and which has 

 certainly not varied in the least during the last 150 years : could such an 

 universal revolution in their old tastes possibly have taken place in the short 

 period which preceded, of 350 years ? 



(5.) Lwnguage. — The negative evidence to be obtained from this source 

 is very important. Language adheres to the soil, when the lips which spoke 

 it are resolved into dust. " Mountains repeat, and rivers murmur, the voices 

 of nations denationalized or extirpated in their own land." It has already 

 been briefly shown in what respects the New Zealand dialect differs from 

 other dialects of the great Polynesian language, as far as relates to the 

 change or substitution of letters ; but there are still greater differences 

 observable in the dialects of the two groups. Sandwich and Samoan — from 

 one of which it has been said the New Zealanders emigrated hither — and the 

 dialect of New Zealand ; of which the great difference in the causative verb 

 in the Sandwich Islands, and of " the distinct and permanent vocabulary of 

 words" used in addressing chiefs, can only be here mentioned. It is also 

 noticeable that the names of " gods" whom the mythical emigrants are said 

 to have consulted before leaving, are not known as such in those islands ; 

 and all the names of the emigrants themselves are pure New Zealand words, 

 which do not exist in the dialects of those islands. Their ti-aditions and 

 songs, however ancient, are all very distinct ; for although some of the New 

 Zealand myths do possess a few of the names of the numerous Polynesian 

 "gods" or deified heroes, they are all assigned a very different and inferior 

 position and work by the New Zealanders. Could all this have been brought 

 about in less than a very large number of years ? So with the sub-dialects 

 observed in New Zealand, v/hich agree in their outline characters with others 

 in the Pacific, as has been already stated, and which were much more strongly 

 defined formerly than they are now (mainly oAving to the introduction of a 

 written language within the last thirty years, which has caused the chosen 



