The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-12-17
Hon. S. Percy Smith Differs From
]. Fernandez.
ORIGIN OF THE POLYNESIANS
Visitor Speaks in Confirmation of
His Theory Two Migrations.
Amazing Extent of Voyages.

There was not very large attend
ance at Y. NJ. c. A Assembly Hall for
the meeting of last evening. Those
who were present heard read paper Of
unusual interest and listened to dis
course highly instructive and replete
with new matter. DR.. n. B. Emerson,
President of the Society was chairman.
The first number was the reading by
Jos. Emerson of Miss Henry's paper
on Tahitian legends. This was fine
literary production and there were
numerous references to clever and at
tractive folklore Miss Henry is en-
gagged in the preparation of History
of Tahiti, she having but recently ar
rived from that country.
AS Miss Henry had closed her offer
ing with a fine tribute to Judge For
handler, so Hon. S. Percy Smith of
New Zealand opened his address by
speaking in most complimentary terms
Of the distinguished historian who
delved so deeply into Polynesian mat
ters.
Mr.. Smith said that while Judge
Fernandez had performed stupendous
work and left magnificent and last
ing monument in his volumes, there
were some points or theories upon
which scholars now in the field differ
ed materially from the deceased his
torian and Polynesian investigator.
Judge Fernandez had traced the
races now occupying the Islands of the
Pacific back to Arabia. Later and
most careful researches had caused
the conclusion that the Polynesians
had come originally from India. Evil
dence leading to that determination had
been gathered till the accumulation
reached such dimensions and quality
that it could no longer be withstood.
However, there could be no denial of
the record as declaring or asserting
than the Polynesians had at different
times communicated with Egypt and
with the Indians of the north. Arabia
is very distant Closer inspection
penetrates and hurts the reasoning by
which it was adjudged that Arabia
once contained the beginning of the
peoples of the Islands of the Pacific.
The immigrants were from interior
India. They reached the shore by in
ternal operations or upheavals and
through force of circumstances became
the navigators challenging the admir-
alton of the men who go down to the
sea in ship to this day.
The Maoris of New Zealand tell in
their most authentic meles that they
came in the first place not from an ISL
and, but from a large country having
great streams and lakes-from main
land with mountains of immense extent
and wondrous height. Close descrip-
tons prove that they certainly mean
India. Much of the Polynesian Ian
guage can be identified as coming from
the Ayran. From India there were
brought to the Islands vans, taro, the
pig and breadfruit. The names of the
Islands came from the Ayran.
There were two migrations to the
Islands of the Pacific from India. In
all the legends of Polynesia, there are
references to a first people coming from
distance A stop was made by the
pioneers in Malay. Here they acquired
words and manners connecting with
the Malays directly and closely. This
first migration was about 1850. Fiji
and Raratonga were reached certainly.
Around the Island of Raratonga there
is a road of fiat stones of which the
people know nothing at all and can
only say it was made by King Toi.
Some of these first voyagers reached
the Marquesas. The Polynesians are
not branch of the Malay race. That
is a theory dead now and one that
cannot be proven.
These migrations were not nearly so
difficult as the casual reader would
naturally suppose. Canoes of large
size were built most staunchly. Two
would be Joined by a firm platform and
low house would be erected on the
platform. There would be ample space
for the storage of provisions for a
long voyage. The supplies included
cocoanuts, pigs, taro and rats. AS to
the latter the speaker considered that
they made food good as rabbits. There
was also a story to the effect that the
sailors of the canoes had a vegetable
found in India that was marvellous in
quenching thirst and that answered
for water.
AS to the second migration the Ma
lays tell of it in manner that may
be accepted 1t is made clear that
these travellers weremen gilmore ability
and experience than those who had
preceded them on the voyages of disr
covery. Wherever they landed they took
charge The native of Fiji is not true
Polynesian. He was changed by the
second migration. Mr.. Smith referred
to the account of the settlement of the
Hawaiian Islands as given by Mr..
Churchill, the former American Con-
sui at Samoa who lately lectured be-
fore the Historical Society. Mr.. Smith
said that the ''Tongans" of whom Mr.
Churchill told were not Fiji people but