374 
LANGUAGE. 
there are always some remains left to rediscover wliat has 
disappeared from traditional memory. 
The character of language seems to be greatly influenced 
by climate, and to change with alteration of locality. The 
milder the climate the more euphonious the tongue ; harsh 
gutterals and numerous consonants indicate cold and fre- 
quent fogs ; exceptions to this rule seem to prove that 
those who have them came at no distant period from other 
regions ; soft sounding tongues, abounding in vowels, ap- 
pear to mark a mild and genial temperature, yet whilst this 
is the case with that of New Zealand, which abounds in 
vowels, it is often spoken with a harsh intonation. Change 
of temperature will, in some measure, account for the dif- 
ferent dialects which exist amongt the various branches of 
the Polynesian race, which, though radically the same, still 
greatly differ in sound. Whilst it is probable that the Maori 
is the latest off-set from the parent stock, it is singular 
it should have improved upon the original by adding to it 
and enriching it with more consonants. Similar changes 
have, however, taken place amongst other sections of the 
same stock. 
Another cause of difference arises from the constant 
changes which are going on in the islands, from canoes 
drifting from one to another, and frequently from a great 
distance, as well as from the general erratic disposition of 
the islanders, thus it is by no means uncommon to find 
islands which have not more than half-a-dozen villages on 
them, with as many distinct tongues. There appears to be 
some reason to suppose that the Sandwich Island dialect is 
not the original one from whence the Polynesian was derived 
and that its origin must have been still further removed, as 
the Hawaii natives have the l and /, which the Maori have 
not, thus they say alofa instead of aroha, and fale instead of 
ware. 
In Samoa, as in the Malay, the l has supplied the place of 
the r, as malama, instead of marama , so likewise the s has 
been introduced there instead of the ng, as safulu for ngauru ; 
and also / instead of h, as afula for ahum. The Marquesan 
