116 Origin and Migrations of the Polynesian Nation. 



than any other person in this colony, while he coincides with me 

 entirely in regarding these islanders as Malays from the Indian 

 Archipelago, conceives that the Philippine Islands were their 

 starting point from that Archipelago, and that, to use the nautical 

 language, they made their easting in the Northern Hemisphere, 

 but in that Equatorial belt, in which La Perouse and Admiral 

 Hunter informs us that at certain seasons of the year westerly 

 winds are as prevalent as easterly. 



We should also expect, if my theory is well founded, that the 

 Indian languages of South America generally, down to the 

 Equator, would exhibit much more of the Polynesian and vocalic 

 character than those of the northern continent, the latter being 

 so much farther from the original point of departure. And this 

 is precisely what we find in fact. Whole strings of words in the 

 language of the Indians of the British province of Guiana, whole 

 strings of words in the language of the Cuna Indians of the 

 Isthmus of Darien, are in their form and character precisely like 

 so many words in the Polynesian dialects of New Zealand and 

 Tahiti. 



A scholar, accustomed to trace the affinities, or to detect the 

 radical dissimilarity of different languages, would at once unhesi- 

 tatingly assert that the following words of the dialect of the 

 Warows, of British Guiana, were just so many words of the 

 Polynesian tongue : — 



Head 



Magash 



Water 



Ho 



Eyes 



Maamu 



Earth 



Hotah 



Mouth 



Maroho 



Sun 



Yah 



Hair 



Maaheo 



Moon 



Waanehah 



Ears 



Mahohoko 



Stars 



Keorah 



Arms 



Mahaara 



Thunder 



Nahaa 



Skin 



Mahoro 



Rain 



Naaha 



Blood 



Hotuh 



Paddle 



Haahah 



The following words are from the dialect of New Zealand : — 



Mahana Day Madino Smooth 



Marama The moon Maha Much 



Maripi A sword Matapo Blind 



N.B. — The syllable Ma, in both lists, is in all likelihood a prefix. 



The following Indian names of localities on the Demerara River, 

 supplied me by a friend returned to England from Demerara have 

 also quite a Polynesian aspect ; — Arigaraboe, Hiagua, Haboe, 

 Boera-boera-wa, Warawarau, Maraka, Mamaa, Moonetari, Mari- 

 mari, Winipio, Mamikoera, Toematamatia Motolca, Akyma, 

 Kaiwalia, Kamakaiaha, Dalawila. Wai, or Vai, is the Polynesian 

 word for water ; and Waridu, Waratili, Walaba, are the names 

 of three creeks that empty themselves into the Demerara River. 



