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The Far-spread Polynesian Race.

UNROLL the world's map and look upon the vast area of the Pacific Ocean—the Mare Pacificum and Mar del Sur of old-time writers, the Great Ocean of Kiwa of the Maori, the realm of romance and home of the Lotus-eaters. Examine the island groups, note their names, and mark this: that from the southern point of New Zealand (about 45° south latitude) to the Sandwich Isles, far north of the Line; from lone Easter Isle, under the rising sun, even to a point near the Ellice Group, in the west, the whole of the isles contained in this great area are peopled by the Maori folk—the light-coloured Polynesian race, speaking various dialects of a common tongue. Moreover, outside of this area you may locate Polynesian colonies at Tikopia, the Loyalty Group, the New Hebrides, as also at many other places, even to the far-flung Caroline Islands.

How is it that we find the Maori inhabiting these far-separated isles athwart the Great Pacific? How comes it that legends and old-time genealogies are held in common by many scattered folk? How can we explain the fact that the Maori of New Zealand has preserved island and place names of central and eastern Polynesia, and that the brown-skinned men of the Society and Cook Groups can tell of the peopling of New Zealand in times long passed away?

In the pages that follow we shall see that the Maori traversed the vast expanse of the Pacific as western peoples explored a lake; that the Polynesian voyager fretted the Great Ocean of Kiwa with the wake of his gliding prau; that he was probably the most fearles neolithic navigator the world has seen; and that he has visited nearly every isle that flecks the heaving breast of Hine-moana, the Ocean Maid.