Linton — Tlic Marquesas Islands 265 



From the point of view of the primitive settler, the Alarquesas could hard- 

 ly be considered desirable country. The mountains everywhere extend to the 

 sea, and the little level ground on the plateaus is rendered uninhabitable by the 

 droughts. The numerous valleys are for the most part small and many of them 

 contain no land suitable for cultivation. Terracing, which might have increased 

 the arable area, is almost useless without some system of irrigation, and this is 

 rendered impossible by the uncertain rainfall. There are no native wild animals 

 larger than the rat, and the absence of a barrier reef decreases the supply of fish, 

 and makes fishing arduous and uncertain. Opposed to these disadvantages are 

 a climate ideally suited to the growth of breadfruit and coconut, and at least 

 partial immunity from attack as a result of the geographical isolation of the 

 valleys. 



SETTLEMENT AND POPULATION 



So far as known there are no nati^'e accovmts of the original settlement 

 of the Marquesas. The legends collected by the Bayard Dominick Expedition 

 show a belief in a local creation. Legendary material and the constant repetition 

 of tribal and place names in the various islands of the group would seem to indicate 

 that the historic inhabitants were descended from a few small parties of settlers 

 who occupied the most fertile valleys of the southern islands first, spreading as 

 their numbers increased until the occupation of the group was complete. There 

 is no legendary evidence of organized conquest or of an early non-Polynesian 

 population. The local differences in culture and physical type which existed in 

 the Marquesas at the beginning of the historic period seem to point, however, to 

 the presence of two originally distinct racial elements. One element, which was 

 dominant in Hiva Oa, Tahu Ata and Fatu Hiva, showed many affinities with the 

 Maori of New Zealand. The other element, which was dominant in Nuku Hiva, 

 Ua Huka and Ua Pou, showed affinities with western Polynesia. It seems im- 

 probable that these two elements arrived in the group simultaneously but it is 

 imposible to say which came first. In historic times the western Polynesian 

 element in the Marquesas was strongest in the localities which were least desir- 

 able and farthest from the probable place of arrival of immigrants to the group. 

 This may indicate that this element arrived first and had been ousted from the 

 more favorable localities by the Maori-like element. 



There seems to have been no important invasion of the Marquesas after 

 their settlement by these two racial elements. The Tuamotus was the only 

 island group near enough to serve as a base for organized attack and these 

 islands were small and sparsely populated. It was not impossible for small bands 

 of invaders to reach the Marqviesas from time to time; but even if the\' were 

 successful in this, the nature of the country would have limited their occupation 



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