INTRODUCTION. 55 



extension or imparting of languages. The a«1cipi i«>:i of a language 

 is ''very much a matter off convenience, depending oAen on the 

 lumerieal majority." On the supposition, fur instance, that Poly- 

 ehed the Ami rican shores, if does not follow that we 

 •ii lt lit t<> find trios of tlii'ir lang On I ;.iry. it da 



follow thai ■ ikiiiLr th( are in any way con- 



W hitesand Blacks of the United States. 

 !l concludes (his chapter thus: "Inth< eh new 



field r> . going 



beyond tin- istitntion "fa plant or animal, is met bya new adapta- 

 tion, until the di full ; while, among the immense vai 



two kinds are hardly found fulfilling the same pre- 



i -t in ilit- human fam- 

 ily; and it may uned whether any one of the 



yly, would, up to the present day, have i itended itself 



over the w bole aurfai f il 



It i- evident that the manners, arts, and attainments of the Poly- 



not of independent growth, nor are they the remnants of 



r civilization. If we look to the East Indies, their 



supposed nriL.Mii, we find no resemblance. If man baa hada central 



i, and has gradually spread with itiona and knowledge, 



•lit to find Ins history inscribed on I eh new 



revolution obliterating mo >>f the preceding, bis primitive 



condition^ should !>•• found at the furthest remove from th< 



graphic centre." If we " coul nto the early history of the 



Indies, we might find there a condition of society approximating 



to that nt th" Polyni Cusl to in the 



place of their origin, may continue a long time in remote situations. 



ft iween the east coast of Africa and tl America, there 



arc li- trea of maritime intercourse, which I > r i 1 1 lt into 



connexion this immense tract of tan. From Arabia to Hindostan the 



rformed by Arab "dows" : from Hindustan to the 

 I Indies, the Bay of Bengal is navigated by the Telingans and 

 Maldive Islanders; the Easl Indians extend their commercial i 



from \- i t'i the northern part of Australia; the main Pacific 

 itres of communication with the Bast In lies, through tne 

 Mips, and the Papuan archipelago, though the former 

 is the mam one; this navigation is carried on by Japani 

 and by the large double canoes of the Society and Tonga Islands ; the 

 northern Pacific to America has been passed by these same Japanese 

 vessels and Polynesian canoes; both would naturally and almost 

 necessarily reach he northern extreme of California, precisely the 

 place where we fr d a second physical race ; this course would be 



