PREFACE. 
Engaged in the work of geodesy and astronomy, the 
author of this paper made several trips to the Hawaiian 
Islands. Although little attention could be given to eth¬ 
nological or linguistic studies on account of professional 
duties, contact with the natives incidentally brought out 
points which seemed interesting. 
Struck by the occurrence of peculiar grammatical forms, 
and finding unusual mental habits among the Kanakas 
induced by their ethical ideas, it was thought worth while 
to briefly note these facts. Parallels have been drawn be¬ 
tween Polynesian and European constructions, and, as bear¬ 
ing on the formation of language, some incidents are related 
illustrating characteristic lines of thought. 
Grateful acknowledgment is here made to Dr. Cyrus 
Adler, of the Smithsonian Institution, for valuable sugges¬ 
tions as to the arrangement of the material. 
6—Bull. Phil. Soc., Wash., Vol. 14. 
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