Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-06-17
Fornander's "Polynesian Race.

AScNelal NOUNS ago, Tue second ana con.
Gliding volume was published Of Judge
Fornauder's work, " Polynesian Race"
Only brief notices have called public nt,en.
ton to this book. Judge Fornapder de.
serves tho hearty thanks Of every one in.
terested in the history and destiny of these
islands and this people for his labor Of love,
as the book evidently is. 1t is undeuiably
also work of most painstaking, reso,rch
and careful accuracy Of statement. The
author has only once received through our
public prints any recognition Of the great
valne of his book to all interested in H..
waiian lore or chronological study. II needs
but slight acquaintance with Hawaiian an.
tiquities and geneslugies to recogni the
uuvaried diligence that has sif ed, out If n
vast mass Of material, The facts of pr,n e
importance. aud then changed them for
permanent record and reference in The e
two well printed and handsome octave vol.
umes of $50 and 400 p,g.s. We may no,
all accept the inferences made from the
statements of ascerrain.d facts, hut every
scholarly mind can j dye Of the logical
consistency or the want Of it. No one bnt
Judge Fernandez has umulated and
given to The public such n treasury "f Ha.
waiian archaeology. 1t is to be regretted
that there is no table Of contents, no di.
vision into chapters, no index of subjects
treated. This is The o, glaring defect Of
the book. 1t may repel mary fr,m at.
tempting to make their own any Of the
voluminous information here stored to de.
| light every one curious to know The origin
and customs, and the ideas a, Develop
uent Of the Hawaiian peuple. The author,
| perhaps, is not 10 be blamed for what it
may have been out Of his power to supply,
nor for his arrangement Of topics, which
might have been different had his object in
writing been different. He has put every
one interested in Hawaii nei under n deb,
Of gratitude for the work be has attemp,e ed
and accomplished, which, in a few shurt
years, would have been an utterly hopeless
undertaking.
1t may be Of interest and profit to those
who have not the time TO read tho whole
book, or to weigh carefully all its state
ments, to give brief summary of the nu.
thors researches and results, and som,
: criticisms, perhaps, of the authors reason
ings and the res blancc he thinks he Sec
} in the facts he states.
The book is dedicated to his daughi Or
Catherine Ka onohi ula kalani Foruander
/; "as a reminder Of her mothers ancssto or
and her fathers love" 1t will puzzle th
, uulearned reader to syllable ont the man,
: voweled name, and few will know that !
means the girl with heavenly red ey
{ ball."
! The full title is an account of tho Poly
nesan race, its origin and migraiion., an,
{ the ancient history of the Hawaiir peopl
to the time of Kamshameha l., by Abra
BAN Fornander. Circuit Judge Of tn
Island Of Maui, II. l.; London, Trnbnsr
Co., Lndgate Hill, 1874. It appears n
volumes s and Of the extra series Of ,hs
, firms English and Foreign Philosophics
, Library.
: There are four main divisions Of ID
work. The 6rst treats Of the eihuolog
proper Of the Polynesan race, as Indicate
by pathological research; the second, III
indications given by Hawaiian nrchsology
the worship, customs and prevailing idea
: of the people; the third division treats q
the Hawaiian gensalogiss, as fixing th
probable period Of arrival Mt the Island,
The fourth and las, division gives the hi,
i tory Of the several islands, as gaihsre
9 from old legends and chart. down to III
4 conquest of the whole group by Kamsba
: meha The Great.
\ The preface gives some account Of ii
i anlhor aud his preparation for this worI
Besides his own personal collection VI ms
: terials daring biz 81 ysar-' rs-idsnce at ID
islands, he employed three natives for ihrS
: years to travel and gather up for him,
tho different islands. MI the mslss. an
. prayers aud traditions Of which they eoaI
Il ind any trace. tic acknowledge bis i,
o debiedness, also. to the v,rions publication
p on Polynesia, Of which be g,ves list. II
Q names, also, varivas individusls. Davi
q Malo. s. Ksmsksu, the King and other
:. whom he mentions ~ afivrding him val,
If able assistance in many instances.
+ In the 6rsl division OF The b.,ok. he give
70 his views VI 'he origin aud migration VI II
polvue~ian race ar fnn,ilv If = hich be a.