The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-10-26
THE PACIFIC
Commercial A0brrtiser.
SATURDAY. OCT. 20.
The Hawaiians an Oceanic Race-No. 8.

Al Raschid. who was cotemporary with Charlemanse.
The Malays were a piratieal parasite growing out Of
that commerce in the Indian Archipelago, and on
their first appearance were converts to the creed Of
Mahomet. They we're jealous propagandists. Where
is there 9 trace OF Mabomedanism among the people
Of Oeeaniea? Is there the remotest evidence Of
affinity in any religious belief, rite, form, or eere-
mOny? Religion-superstition-ean it what you
will, leaves the most indelible trace on a race Of men,
and where is not the faintest shadow Of a resemblance
between the creeds of two widely separated peoples,
We are bound to conclude that they are not cognate,
or sprung from the same stock.
Ii the supporters of 8 contrary theory fall hack
upon the aboriginal inhabitants of Java and Sumatra.
before the origin Of the Malays, aud maintain that
they may have sprung from there, | will reply that
they are not Of the same race as the people of
Oceanica, but physically different. They are a small,
yellow people, with fiat noses, high cheek bones,
slight boards, speaking a language original in its
character, differing from the Malsys, but possessing
some Oceanic words, which may have been intro
duced by wanderers or Colonists from the East, and
who mixed with the aboriginal races.
No migration took place from these Islands to the
East during the Hindoo supremacy, which was
before the rise of the Malays, or we would have had
some trace of their language as well as of their
religion. but we have Gone-not n particle more
trace Of Brahmanism and Bhnddism, than we have
of the Mohammedanism.
One of the strongest traces of an original race
and one that fingers longest, is the names of places,
mountains, rivers, natural objects. Mans past his
tory shows that successive waves of conqueriDg races
may roll over a country, sweeping away all the
aboriginal inhabitants, and their memory still lives
only IN the names they have left behing, and which
the red tide of war and d~esolation have failed 10
obliterate. They are the Idas and Olympias of
language, exhibiting their Cyclopean forms amid all
the changes around them. Where among all the
names OF places in the Indian Archipelago. can You
find one with n purely Hawaiian or Oceanic name?
Where is there the name of mountain, river. sea,
island, or town that would show an archaic trace of
the Oceanic, or Hawaiian language? Not one The
force of this argument is apparent.
The idea Is prepOsterous that the original inhabi-
tants of Oceanica came from the west against winds,
ocean currents, and the migratory march of man.
The Ph9necians were princes of the ocean, but
their furthest ventures were the Isles of Britain, and
the decentralization of Africa, under Necho, the
Sovereign of Egypt. The sea-born Grecians, with
the best constructed vessels of antiquity, generally
sailed in sight of land, and their furthest voyages
were Sicily and Africa. About the year 1000 of the
Chris ian era, the out-lawed Eirek, the Red, with the
bold and adventurous Scandinavians, felt his way by
Iceland, through its bays to Greenland, which led to
the discovery of Vineland, (America.) Those spas
modic efforts died away without any great results. In
1886, the Portuguese had doubled the Stormy Cape,
but it was not until some years later that any one
dared to venture out into the broad Atlantic. Is
there any plausibility in the supposition that the alb
origines of JAVA, Sumatra, or the Malays, yentured
in frail Canoes, or in later times in large vessels. over
the wide Pacific, before Columbus, with all the
knowledge of his time, guided by a high genius,
made his bold venture across the Atlantic? That
they peOpled these Islands in either ancient or mod
ern times by design or accident is a proposition in
liStil lHpTODdDIes IL nOI lInpUSSlDIe.
1t could not have been done by design; is there
any FEASIBILITY in the superstition that it was done
by accident
The Hindoos were never a maritime people. During
their occupation of Java, they never extended their
maritime dominion. Prior to the 18th century, the
Malays had little maritime knowledge or skill. True,
they were pirates from their first appearance in the
Indian Seas, but their depredations were then, as
now, confined to the coasts and in insignificant
vessels, From Ceebes and the northeasterly Islands
of the Archipelago to the Hawaiian group, is about
1000 miles, nearly three times the distance Columbus
sailed in crossing the Atlantic No vessel possessed by
any of the inhabitants of the Islands of the Indian
Archipelago, before the 18th century, could have
been watered and provisioned for such n voyage in
unknown seas, without chart or compass. In fact, it
was not until some centuries later that they ventured
as far as the outer Islands of that Archipelago, and
not until recently have they advanced as far as
Timor and New Guinea or Papua. 1t is absurd to
contend that prior to the modern improvement of
navigation, they could have peopled Oceanica in
their light primitive vessels. What would avail a
few bananas, cOcoanuts and calabashes of water on n
precarious voyage of months, perhaps years, in n
frail canoe at the mercy of the winds and waves ?
Then the whole distance would have to be performed
against the ocean currents and the trade winds,
eternal and restless, blowing in the teeth of a vessel
on a direct line from these Islands to the Celebes 1t
is begging the question to argue with the Rev. Mr..
Williams, DR.. Lang, and others, that they might
have went from one island to another and from one
group to another, without having a greater distance
than 100 miles between the most distant points.
There never was such a fortuitOus coincidence of ac-
cidents as to produce such n result against all the
forces Of nature. Accident would not Invariably
carry them from one island to another, always Sc
lecting the nearest. And if not carried thus by
accident, it would presuppOse a geographical knowl-
edge of the different islands which the ancient
Javans or late Malaccas never possessed, nor do they
now possess it. The Malacca piracies in times past,
as now, were confined to the Indian Seas. 1 might
here remark in opposition to the theory of accidental
drifting from the west, that there is no tradition
among the Hawaiian people that anything was
drifted to these Islands of any kind or character
whatever, that can be identified as belonging to the
other islands of Oceanica or from the Indian Archi-
pelago. And the same may be asserted of the nearest
Oceanic Islands to the Indian Archipelago. 1t is
true that in recent times japanese vessels have been
borne here by the Japan current, but these started
and came north of the trade winds and the equato-
rial current, as I will explain hereafter.
Against the proposition of the accidental peopleing
of these Islands by the Javans or Malaccas. can be
urged the argument, that all the islands inhabited
by the Papuan race intervene, from New Guinea
and the several groups connected herewith, the New
Hebrides, Eramonga, Tanna, the FIJI group and
others; that the foreign races found on these Islands
have very recently migrated, and are from the
Tougan or Friendly Islands. The migration has
been from the East and not fiom the West. The
early navigators, Captains Cook, Bougainville, D.
Forster, and others describe the Tongans as having
found n footing at MallicolO. Eramonga, Tanna,
Erronau and others of the Papuan Islands. Their
contact with the Fits, and the impress of their
language are so evident that all the rudiments of
FIJI civilization can be traced to them.
Then there is the physiological difference between
the Oceanic man, and the Malay or man of the
Indian Archipelago The pure natives of Oceanica.
in form, feature, development of brain and moral
characteristics, approach very nearly the Caucasian
type. They are susceptible of a rapid and high civ
ilization. They have accomplished more in a half
century than the Javans have accomplished in II
centuries, and more than the Malays have since their
origin, as a people. They have developed a capacity
for self government, of which the races to the West
are incapable. Their Legislation after only 90 years
Of contact with civilization would do credit to any
people of Europe. They are law abiding, easily
and exhibit the highest qualities Of the
Aryian races. On the other hand we find the Malays
inhabitants of the Indian Archipelago, of a
totally different physical, mental and moral form.
They are Indo-C Chinese in form and feature, with
oblique eyes and the yellow lemon complexion. The
mental power is of a lower grade, incapable of a