New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-06-15

ra cOnfiHeHfswe at once perceive the immense
ingenuity ard we are forced 10 admit with the learned
Ritter the great dependence Of civilization upon the rela
ton between the extent Of coast and continent in any por
ton Of the eabs surface Compare the persistence in
tanning language by these islanders from before the Christ
ian era, t;h the huciuatng languages Of the Bushmsn
who have language for every expedition, a1d
whose Kissing words ndstnci those Of or
aserptnt
The reasons which identify The Micronessns With the
great Masyo-P oynesian family, are the following:
lst a comparison Of yocabuariss exhibit snalogies
viii b. according TO the principles laid down by NJ Abel
Remesa show identity in the orgna languages OF the
various ISLANDERS And the voe5usijes Of he language
Of the people Of TARTAR kusaic Bonsh. and Hawaii fur
nisbed the papers before by Rev j. Guliok hroT
great and valuable light this pOiLt especially IN the I'M
pOr;ant matter Of the numerals.
3D. The iheving propensity Is common 70 Polynesia
from the Ladroues Thief islands called By the Old
Jeuits the earliest Missionaries 70 the B0wdch islands the
latest discovered ing them Indeed the reception OF
Capt Wilkes and suite with celestial h0D0rs, and tns
Simultaneous thefs perpetrsted them by BOwditch
ssnoers lead 70 the suspicion that stealing may be part
Of their worship well q the worship OF some of their
hurasn brothers Of higher preiensions to cyiz atom
Y 3rd Their common bent TO the use Of numbers: Mr.
Guck vocabulary contains terms OF the Micronesia IS
lsnders visited by him. for numbers az hZh a. millions
And Captain wilkes states that IN the Native schools az IL
poulu tie seyerest punishment Is 70 restrain the pupils
from the study Of Arithmetic. striking contrast to the
Continental Esquimaux who count ten only
Attn Their reverence for often amounting to worship Of
the dead NJ DE- Ia Gironere Sunday inns May :, 80
mentions this peculiarly among the Aetas remote
negroes but they simply variety Of Pclynessns ex
hbIg The peculiar complexion arc hair which their geo
graphical position you'd stamp upon any portion Of the hu
man race
8 Their similarity in complexion, bair and features
Wide differences have been asserted to exist in these par
tculars but almost any given Island may be found
differences great 10 any two the most remote Islands
And these differences the result OF caste relative eX
p0sure where greater than may be found between
the lowest ranks and the nobility Of Great Britain
With these preliminary remarks, we proceed to the
analysis Cf the papers.
Tie fst Island visited and described by the Dr. L. H.
Guick is Tariiai Of the Kngsnil group. i, lies in lat
3deg min and Ion l72 deg T. This Island had been
VS. led and snrvey by Capt Wkes nearly ten years be
fore and the account Of il contained in the fifth volume Of
bis narrative COMEDIES with that contained in the papers
before in all, except two particulars. Capt Wilkes
considers the Island Of no present or prospective com
uerca poriaIce Mr. Gulck shows that the Islanders
export 200 barrels nut oil annually 20 Sydney and
adds that by little economy IN the mode Of preparing ~
this quantity may be doubled and further that large
quantity of nut mOasscs obtained after the manner
Of securing maple sap, may be manufactured There Is
slso scattered the leland quantity OF lime stones
which valuable nasmuch as the are obliged to obtain
lime the Sandwich Islands from around the Horn.
Capt Wilkes states that there but few children on
the island Mr. Gulck asserts thu here are many. Capt
Wkes in ls42 thought this islam be decreasing In size
Mr. Guck in 1882 IS Of opinion 1T IS increasing two
statements not Incompatible witt ne upheaval theory OF
DR. Sir Charles Iyell.
The population of Tartari is dated at 1000 by Mr..
Quick, and the fifteen isla composing the Kings
MIL group, az no less than $1,000 liz.
Kusaia StroDgs Island is Ii ext visited by our mar
les in lat 5l7 deg north, and 10 ls3 deg. east Capt
Wilkes oio not visit this island discovered in 1904
by Capt Cozier. and named by h after Gov Strong Of
Massachusetts,. II has also been Visited by Dupeny and
the Russian navigator, Luke.
The name kusaia is applied to two adjoining islands the
larger called Nslan strong's Island, the smaller
Silia or SEA- latter is the residence Of the Kings and
is remMkabl 4fBfk ONE stone Enclosures
NaIaD or SroDgs Island billy its highest elevation be
each having its central moaD with spurs travelling to
the shore The northern sust2ns Mount Baneche, Inc
u'hern Mount Crozier. The island is probably thirty
mile in circumference and has eastern southern and
western hatbor the eastern being by far the best.
The appearance of the island very romantic Its thick
robe green reaching TO the waters edge oeys unusu
Insurance Frequent showers upon its rich mold con.
spue bring in very rapid vegetable growth some OF
Il reports Of which seem incredible Corn 1t IS said,
res to full maturity in six weeks And sugar cane Is
said TO grow occasionally six athoms long. The growth
Of timber certainly exceeds anything IN the Sandwich
Islands.
and of light copper colored complexion tIhe King and
some Of The mobiles of large stature. Hair long
fne ard Iack and drawn back and lied upon itself in
large knot eyes sunken, with the obhquy OF inner angles
pee uiar to the Chinese. This latter peculiarly led Ar
Vile claim for them Chinese origin, which, however
Their language forbids. go
The manners and address of the Russians mild
and agreeable as lead the Messrs Quick to deny the ap
poprateness of the term sovase when applied 10 hsm
The number Of inhabitants Is not mentioned.
Admiral Sulke, quoted by Puchard, remarks OF these
people, lis yiennent point la rencOne aNec des
branches de PALMER signe De pax, parce
"qu connsissen pas aure eat que lctti De pax
NoiwthsiaI ding this high compliment these islanders
xii on OCCASION having cut OF two SHIPS crews me
last the civilized maxim that dead men tell no tales
(See Gulck Letter, Sept, 1852, p
These people manifest the usual Poynesan aptitude in
the construction of and have attached to them out
ringers sumountiDg, in OF the nobility with spe-
cs Of coat Of made Of shells They have ma
tive cloth woven lin oom) from the banana hore, IN
strips quarter of yard wide and about the IONS by
both sexes In place of warmth OF clothing tney make
fires within their houses
Their forIn Of Government is absolute monarchy,
hereditary general rule, although the direct line IS
sometimes neriered with by election or changed by revo
luton There several orders OF nobility IN which caste
is rgdly maintained The King and the mobiles are the
artizans. each following the calling Of his father The
present King is fisherman. Among the Artisans are
canoe builders, house builders preparer of wav Their
food and kaava their drink. These cdngS are cOnsid
ertd honorable and the common people or sers are nos
Ihey have the tattoo which is Indicated by leaves placed
IN certain directions They have but one wife, although
enforcement exists. -
Their disposal of the dead peculiar After death the
body is thoroughly saturated with cocoanut oil II Is then
carefully and tastefully wrapped with different coored
cloths from head 10 foot in two or three days IS buried
in grave and left there three months; then dug up
tied together and sunk IN particular spot IN lho
Lsrbor In the Of the Kings daughter deceased three
mouths before the arrival Of The Mvssrs Glck the body
was still kept above ground in large house watched by
tle principal Chiefs who lived meanwhile AZ the royal
expense This body probably intended for sepuiture
IN one of the vaults on the Island of Lltia.
Or Quick regards the account OF the stone structures IN
the Eastman cd Island greatly exaggerated by IRVINE
lie SAWS The reported piles OF masonry were large rough
stones laid up to a considerable height. We found
number of these walls, Of various length and IN y&rlou
conditions ~ perectness Large Banyan Ike trees had
many instances sent their roots into the center Of ines
structures and IN these the stones have been re-
n owed. probably for building purposes
a wall vary ing III height IN different parts, surrounds
considerable part of the bill which occupies the centre Of
the Island Another wall Is the present residence
tho IA fny's - Is