POLYNESIAN AND MALAYAN. 101 
ficiality of observation as comes to scientific voyagers whose stay at 
any one spot is necessarily brief. How superficial his knowledge is 
the last sentence exhibits, for it is a fact of zoology that New Zealand 
lacked beasts of prey, and it is more than doubtful if the moa persisted 
until the period of the Polynesian settlement of the islands; certainly 
there is no warrant for the assumption of the dinornis as a combative 
fowl. Despite his personal experiences on the cruise of the Novara, 
Miiller derives his authority for the Malayo-Polynesian family from 
Franz Bopp. 
At last we have gone upstream to the source. The Malayo- 
Polynesian family was erected by Bopp, ‘Ueber die Verwandschaft 
der malayisch-polynesischen Sprachen mit den indisch-europaischen,’’ 
published in 1841. 
No one may deny Franz Bopp the credit of establishing the science 
of comparative philology; he first brought into order the study of the 
interlacing languages of mankind, established the greater groups, and 
pointed out the method whereby the study of speech could be made 
effective. All the authorities whom we have cited in the introductory 
pages of this chapter have been satisfied to rest upon the dicta of their 
leader; to not one has 1t seemed proper to subject to further examina- 
tion the data which he had used. It is the compelling force of a great 
name deadening research. 
Now it is proper to attempt to resurrect the data which were 
available for Bopp in 1841. It is well to bear in mind that he was 
fresh from his triumph in elucidating the relationship of the various 
Indian, Persian, and European languages which now we commonly 
designate the Aryan group. Hehad established a Semitic family, which 
later information has considerably modified. He had given Africa the 
Hamitic family in a speech arrangement which is now completely dis- 
regarded. Carried away by the zeal of completing his system, of 
assorting all the languages of mankind into families, he created this 
Malayo-Polynesian family. We have the right to examine the material 
upon which he based this classification. 
First and foremost in his study was the great work of Wilhelm von 
Humboldt on Java, ‘Ueber die Kawi-Sprache,’’ which was published 
in 1838. I can find no slightest evidence that Bopp went beyond the 
material which Humboldt had amassed in this great work. Accord- 
ingly the authority for the family which Bopp created must lie in the 
work of his predecessor. 
Let it be understood that there is here no suggestion that Humboldt 
is anything but our best authority upon the Kawi speech in Java. His 
study of that ancient language is both brilliant and profound, his discus- 
sion in pursuit of his theme when it carries him to the modern Javanese, 
both in its Basakrama and its Basangoko types, leaves nothing to be 
desired. But when he goes further afield and brings in comparative 
