Origin and Migrations of the Polynesian Nation. 93 



more than three hundred leagues. And it is still more improbable 

 that they colonised the islands of San Duisk (the Sandwich 

 Islands) and Otaheite, which are distant two thousand leagues 

 from the Philippines. All these people, however, have the same 

 language, the same manners and customs, and consequently the 

 same origin as cur Indians. There is, in my opinion, this other 

 reason for supposing these latter islands could not be peopled 

 from the westward, viz., that in all the torrid zone the east wind 

 generally prevails, which, being in direct opposition to the course 

 from Malacca and the adjacent islands, it is fair to conclude that 

 the inhabitants of all the islands of the South Sea came from the 

 east, sailing before the wind ; for we have seen it often happen 

 that the Indians from the Palaos have arrived at the Philippines 

 precisely under these circumstances. On the contrary, we have 

 no instance on record of any of the Philippine Indians having 

 been, even by aceident, carried by the winds to the islands to the 

 eastward. Indeed, we know the reverse of this to be true, since 

 at times the most experienced pilots, in attempting this naviga- 

 tion, have been compelled to return without falling in with the 

 islands they went in search of, from the necessity there is in the 

 voyage of being provided with proper nautical instruments. 

 Here, therefore, we appear to have found the most probable 

 solution of our difficulties : that is, that the first settlers came 

 out of the east (we may presume from the coast of South 

 America), and proceeding gradually to the westward, through 

 the Pacific Ocean, studded as we find it with islands at no very 

 great distance from each other, and of course of easy access 

 before the wind, it follows that to whatever point in an eastern 

 direction we can trace the Tagalic language, we may conclude 

 that at that point emigration must have commenced." Historia 

 de las Islas Philippinas, por Martinez de Zuniga, Manila, 1803. 

 To dismiss De Zuniga's theory for good, I have only to observe 

 that it is based on the inadmissable assumption that the inhabi- 

 tants of continents are addicted to maritime pursuits, and to 

 make long voyages into the boundless ocean, which we know to 

 be directly contrary to all experience and observation. The 

 theory in question further assumes that the Indians of the West 

 Coast of America, either are, or ever have been, a maritime 

 people, a supposition which the barren character of that coast 

 for many hundreds of miles in the intertropical regions utterly 

 precludes. Besides, even if the Indo- Americans of the West 

 Coast had been such a maritime and seagoing people as the 

 theory supposes, how many thousand voyages might they not 

 have made — without chart, without compass, and without any of 

 the requisite appliances for distant navigation ere they lighted 

 upon one of the minute and remote islands of the vast Pacific ! 

 In one word, the thing is utterly incredible. 



