250 
A VOYAGE TO 
Ji. i / 
1778. But whatever refemblance we might difcover, in the ge- 
^febroary^ nera i manners Q f t h e p eo pi e 0 f Atooi, to thofe of Otaheite, 
thefe, of courfe, were lefs ftriking than the coincidence of 
language. Indeed, the languages of both places may be faid 
to be almoft, word for word, the fame. It is true, that we 
fometimes remarked particular words to be pronounced ex¬ 
actly as we had found at New Zealand, and the Friendly 
Iflands; but though all the four dialeXs are indifputably 
the fame, thefe people, in general, have neither the ftrong 
guttural pronunciation of the former, nor a lefs degree of 
it, which alfo diftinguhh.es the latter; and they have not 
only adopted the foft mode of the Otaheiteans, in avoiding 
harfh founds, but the whole idiom of their language; ufing 
not only the fame affixes and fuffixes to their words, but the 
fame meafure and cadence in their fongs; though in a man¬ 
ner fomewhat lefs agreeable. There feems, indeed, at firft 
hearing, fome difagreement, to the ear of a ftranger; but 
it ought to be conftdered, that the people of Otaheite, from 
their frequent connexions with the Engliffi, had learnt, in 
fome meafure, to adapt themfelves to our fcanty knowledge 
of their language, by ufing not only the moft common, 
but even corrupted expreffions, in converfation with us; 
whereas, when they converfed among themfelves, and ufed 
the feveral parts neceffary to propriety of fpeech, they were 
fcarcely at all underftood by thofe amongft us, who had 
made the greateft proficiency in their vocabulary. A cata¬ 
logue of words was colleXed at Atooi, by Mr. Anderfon, 
who loft no opportunity of making our voyage ufeful to 
thofe, who amufe themfelves in tracing the migrations of 
the various tribes, or families, that have peopled the globe, 
by the moft convincing of all arguments, that drawn from 
affinity of language. 
1 ‘ How 
t 
