第2章

THEimpedimentoftongueswasonethatIparticularlyover-

estimated。ThelanguagesofPolynesiaareeasytosmatter，thoughhardtospeakwithelegance。Andtheyareextremelysimilar，sothatapersonwhohasatinctureofoneortwomayrisk，notwithouthope，anattemptupontheothers。

Andagain，notonlyisPolynesianeasytosmatter，butinterpretersabound。Missionaries，traders，andbrokenwhitefolklivingonthebountyofthenatives，aretobefoundinalmosteveryisleandhamlet；andevenwheretheseareunserviceable，thenativesthemselveshaveoftenscrapedupalittleEnglish，andintheFrenchzone(thoughfarlesscommonly)alittleFrench-English，oranefficientpidgin，whatiscalledtothewestward’Beach-la-Mar，’

comeseasytothePolynesian；itisnowtaught，besides，intheschoolsofHawaii；andfromthemultiplicityofBritishships，andthenearnessoftheStatesontheonehandandthecoloniesontheother，itmaybecalled，andwillalmostcertainlybecome，thetongueofthePacific。Iwillinstanceafewexamples。ImetinMajuroaMarshallIslandboywhospokeexcellentEnglish；thishehadlearnedintheGermanfirminJaluit，yetdidnotspeakonewordofGerman。IheardfromagendarmewhohadtaughtschoolinRapa-itithatwhilethechildrenhadtheutmostdifficultyorreluctancetolearnFrench，theypickedupEnglishonthewayside，andasifbyaccident。Ononeofthemostout-of-the-wayatollsintheCarolines，myfriendMr。BenjaminHirdwasamazedtofindtheladsplayingcricketonthebeachandtalkingEnglish；anditwasinEnglishthatthecrewoftheJANETNICOLL，asetofblackboysfromdifferentMelanesianislands，communicatedwithothernativesthroughoutthecruise，transmittedorders，andsometimesjestedtogetheronthefore-hatch。ButwhatstruckmeperhapsmostofallwasawordIheardontheverandahoftheTribunalatNoumea。A

casehadjustbeenheard-atrialforinfanticideagainstanape-

likenativewoman；andtheaudienceweresmokingcigarettesastheyawaitedtheverdict。Ananxious，amiableFrenchlady，notfarfromtears，waseagerforacquittal，anddeclaredshewouldengagetheprisonertobeherchildren’snurse。Thebystandersexclaimedattheproposal；thewomanwasasavage，saidthey，andspokenolanguage。’MAIS，VOUSSAVEZ，’objectedthefairsentimentalist；

’ILSAPPRENNENTSIVITEL’ANGLAIS！’

Buttobeabletospeaktopeopleisnotall。AndinthefirststageofmyrelationswithnativesIwashelpedbytwothings。Tobeginwith，Iwastheshow-manoftheCASCO。She，herfinelines，tallspars，andsnowydecks，thecrimsonfittingsofthesaloon，andthewhite，thegilt，andtherepeatingmirrorsofthetinycabin，broughtusahundredvisitors。Themenfathomedoutherdimensionswiththeirarms，astheirfathersfathomedouttheshipsofCook；thewomendeclaredthecabinsmorelovelythanachurch；

bouncingJunoswereneverwearyofsittinginthechairsandcontemplatingintheglasstheirownblandimages；andIhaveseenoneladystripupherdress，and，withcriesofwonderanddelight，rubherselfbare-breecheduponthevelvetcushions。Biscuit，jam，andsyrupwastheentertainment；and，asinEuropeanparlours，thephotographalbumwenttheround。Thissobergallery，theireverydaycostumesandphysiognomies，hadbecometransformed，inthreeweeks’sailing，intothingswonderfulandrichandforeign；

alienfaces，barbaricdresses，theywerenowbeheldandfingered，intheswervingcabin，withinnocentexcitementandsurprise。HerMajestywasoftenrecognised，andIhaveseenFrenchsubjectskissherphotograph；CaptainSpeedy-inanAbyssinianwar-dress，supposedtobetheuniformoftheBritisharmy-metwithmuchacceptance；andtheeffigiesofMr。AndrewLangwereadmiredintheMarquesas。ThereistheplaceforhimtogowhenheshallbewearyofMiddlesexandHomer。

ItwasperhapsyetmoreimportantthatIhadenjoyedinmyyouthsomeknowledgeofourScotsfolkoftheHighlandsandtheIslands。

NotmuchbeyondacenturyhaspassedsincethesewereinthesameconvulsiveandtransitionarystateastheMarquesansofto-day。Inbothcasesanalienauthorityenforced，theclansdisarmed，thechiefsdeposed，newcustomsintroduced，andchieflythatfashionofregardingmoneyasthemeansandobjectofexistence。Thecommercialage，ineach，succeedingataboundtoanageofwarabroadandpatriarchalcommunismathome。Inonethecherishedpracticeoftattooing，intheotheracherishedcostume，proscribed。Ineachamainluxurycutoff：beef，drivenundercloudofnightfromLowlandpastures，deniedtothemeat-lovingHighlander；long-pig，piratedfromthenextvillage，totheman-

eatingKanaka。Thegrumbling，thesecretferment，thefearsandresentments，thealarmsandsuddencouncilsofMarquesanchiefs，remindedmecontinuallyofthedaysofLovatandStruan。

Hospitality，tact，naturalfinemanners，andatouchypunctilio，arecommontobothraces：commontobothtonguesthetrickofdroppingmedialconsonants。HereisatableoftwowidespreadPolynesianwords：-

HOUSE。LOVE。

TahitianFAREAROHA

NewZealandWHARE

SamoanFALETALOFA

ManihikiFALEALOHA

HawaiianHALEALOHA

MarquesanHA’EKAOHA

Theelisionofmedialconsonants，somarkedintheseMarquesaninstances，isnolesscommonbothinGaelicandtheLowlandScots。

Strangerstill，thatprevalentPolynesiansound，theso-calledcatch，writtenwithanapostrophe，andoftenoralwaysthegravestoneofaperishedconsonant，istobeheardinScotlandtothisday。WhenaScotpronounceswater，better，orbottle-WA’ER，BE’ER，orBO’LE-thesoundispreciselythatofthecatch；andI

thinkwemaygobeyond，andsay，thatifsuchapopulationcouldbeisolated，andthismispronunciationshouldbecometherule，itmightprovethefirststageoftransitionfromTtoK，whichisthediseaseofPolynesianlanguages。ThetendencyoftheMarquesans，however，istourgeagainstconsonants，oratleastontheverycommonletterL，awarofmereextermination。AhiatusisagreeabletoanyPolynesianear；theearevenofthestrangersoongrowsusedtothesebarbaricvoids；butonlyintheMarquesanwillyoufindsuchnamesasHAAIIandPAAAEUA，wheneachindividualvowelmustbeseparatelyuttered。