Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1897-12-13
S. PERCY SMITHS LECTURE
Tells HaWaiianS Of the Races in the
POlyneSian Circle.
Strong Similarity Between Natives Of Tahiti,
Samoa, New Zealand and Hawaii.
A Study In Language.

! -" Sho'Sh woo hhhS~
with people las. evening to listen
to the lecture of Prof. $. Percy
Smith Of New Zealaud on the
subject of the Polynesian races.
Fully 80 per ceut Of those pres
ent were native Hawaiian. Rev.
II. Fl. Parker introduced the
speaker and interpreted his re-
marks into Hawaiian. A choir of
20 voices furnished excellent
music.
Mr.. Smith began with a re-
fer nee to the traditional know
ledge possessed by the southern
Polynesians of Hawaii, Samoa
and other principal groups of the
Pacific. There was distinct
trace of this knowledge and it had
been frequently established that
journeys between the groups were
often made.
Polynesia occupied very large
section of the earlh's surface. The
circle extended from Java and
Hawaii on tie north to a small
island below New Zealand in the
extreme south. Though occupy
ing such vast territory the popu.
lation of Polynesia was compare
lively small. There are four
principal divisions of the area,
viz: Hawaii, with 10000 Poly.
nesians; Tahiti. with $4,000; Sa.
moa, with $4,000; New Zealand,
with $4,000. In the whole area
there were about 100000 real Po-
lypesians.
The time was past to inquire
fully into the origin of the Poly
nesian race. All the data was
traditional and speculative. There
were two distinct migratory peri
dds during which tne islands to
the north and south of Tahiti were
inhabited. While the white man
was still confined to narrow
sphere of the world in Europe,
the Polynesian vas boldly steer
ing thousands of miles across the
Pacific in his small canoe. About
81 generations ago there was a
great disturbance in southern
Polynesia duriog which many
people scatt.,ed out and landed in
New Zealand. There are records
of this migration.
Tue Hawaiiaps are related
directly by blood to the other
Polynesiap races. There are many
things showing tnis and that ali
Polynesia is one race. The first
reason is that the languages of
those races on the outskirts of the
circle very strongly resemble each
other. Second, We find that many
of the ancient customs of the Ha-
waiians prevail among the nations
all through the Polynesan area.
Again, the relationship is seen in
the general appearance. "Whan
l see You" continued tie speaker,
II think / am looking at Nsw
Iealanders; you look so much
alike"
From this point the lecturer
entered into a detailed description
of Tahiti, Samoa, New Isaland,
hsratonga and other Polynesian
c"nters, describing particularly
the people, their Languages aud
customs, for the purpose of show
ing the similarity between them.
The Samoaps, he said, differed
more from the general makeup
than any of the others. They
were more backward and not so
well civilized.
Tue -p akor closed with quo
tstion in the Maori language.
Most of IT WAS readily understood
by the Hawsians aud the illustra
tion was SO striking that there
was mild outburst of applause.
Prof. Smiths voice WAS very weak,
and much that he said was entire
ly lost to the English part OF the
anIianca