The Polynesians have largely decreased in numbers since the period when intercourse with Europeans commenced, though infanticide, profligacy, and murderous wars have been greatly abridged. The known causes of this reduction are ardent spirits, and European diseases, some of which, though mild in temperate climates, as measles and scarletina, are very fatal within the tropics. But there are causes of destruction at work which are perfectly inex. plicable. Mr. Williams, in his "Narrative of Missionary Enterprise," states, that most of the diseases which have raged in the islands, during the term of his residence, have been introduced by ships; and "what renders this fact remarkable, is, that there might be no appearance of disease among the crew of the ship, which conveyed the destructive importation." But the same fact has been repeatedly noted of two sets of men, coming into contact, and disease being the consequence to the one, the other remaining perfectly healthy. The circumstance is mysterious, and beyond all human control. 438. The Bonin, or Arzobispo (archbishop) Islands, situated to the south-east of Japan, comprise upwards of fifty, but have not yet been examined with any care. They have no native population; but a few Japanese are located in the northern members of the group, and some British subjects are said to have established themselves, for the purpose of carrying on contraband trade with that country. -The Ladrone or Marian Islands, to the south, about twenty in number, are Spanish possessions, included in the government of the Philippines. They were once densely inhabited; but the natives fled in great numbers, to escape an oppressive foreign rule, and scarcely a remnant of the original population survives. The llama, introduced from Peru, thrives on the mountains. The Ladrones, discovered by Magellan, March 6, 1521, obtained that name, signifying "thieves," from the pilfering propensities of the inhabitants. They were afterwards called Marian, in honour of Mary Ann, of Austria, wife of Philip iv. of Spain, who directed their settlement. Guajam, the principal island, about 80 miles in circuit, contains the Spanish capital, S. Ignacio de Aguna,Population, 3,000. At Tinian, another of the islands, Anson landed his sick crew, during his voyage round the world, in 1742. A memorial of his visit was recently discovered, consisting of the anchor of his ship, the Centurion, which was lost there, and which was hooked up by a whaler on weighing her own anchor. It was but little corroded, after a submergence of nearly a century. 439. The Carolinas consist of from forty to fifty groups, which form a long chain, extending through a distance of 2,500 miles, in the direction of the equator, and almost immediately to the north of it.-The Pelew Islands, at the western extremity, are a cluster of about twenty-eight, of which the largest is about sixty miles in length.-The Radack, Ralick, Marshall, and Gilbert archipelagoes, eastern appendages of the Carolinas, are low, unimportant coralline formations. The Carolinas obtained that name after Charles II., of Spain. One of the first portions discovered was met with by Alvaro de Saavedra, a kinsman of Cortes, on a voyage from Mexico to the Moluccas. From the day being Twelfth day, 1527, he named it Los Reyes, or, "the kings," supposed to be the Egoi Islands of our present maps. Saavedra likewise discovered portions of the Ralick and Radack archipelagoes, to which he gave the name of Los Pintados, from the natives being tatooed or painted, and Los Buenos Jardines, from abundant vegetable productions. The Pelew Isiands were discovered in 1543, by Villalobos. They strongly excited the interest of the British public, owing to the kindness of the natives to the shipwrecked crew of the Antelope in 1783, and the visit of Prince Lee Boo, a son of the king, to London, in the company of the captain, where he died of the small-pox. 440. The Sandwich Islands, the most important at present of the Polynesian groups, occupy a detached position about 2,800 miles from the shores of Mexico on the east, 5,000 from the coast of China on the west, and 2,700 miles from the Society Islands on the south. There are eight principal islands,—of which Hawaii or Owhyee, is the largest in Polynesia, having an area of about 4,000 square miles, remarkable for its towering volcanic mountains; and the great crater of Kirauea, a deep hollow of vast size, studded at the bottom with smoking cones, and lakes of liquid lava.-The natives, numbering about 100,000, have long been brought into intimate intercourse with foreigners from various parts of the civilized world for trading purposes, and have made considerable advances in the arts of life. A single monarchical government has been established, limited by a legislative assembly; laws have been enacted and enforced; civil institutions have been founded; towns have been built with a due regard to convenience; a small fleet has been collected; and, under the auspices of the American Board of Missions, the language has been reduced to writing, and the Bible translated into the native tongue. The main commerce consists in victualling ships, and exporting the odoriferous sandal-wood. Honororu, the capital, in the island of Oahu, composed chiefly of wooden houses, laid out in squares, intersected at regular intervals by streets, is the largest town of Polynesia. It has its fashionable drive, on a fine plain in the neighbourhood, resorted to in the evening by the higher class natives and foreign merchants. Population, 7,000. The islands were discovered by Captain Cook, January 18, 1778, who subsequently perished at Hawaii. They were named after Earl Sandwich, then first lord of the Admiralty. Their social improvement commenced under king Tamehameha, and his minister Krimakoo, otherwise called Pitt, because contemporary with the English statesman. Tamehameha II., and his queen, visited England, where both died of measles in July, 1824. Their remains were conveyed home by Lord Byron, in the Blonde frigate. Sandal-wood is in great demand in China and other countries of the east, where it is burned as incense to the idols. The Feejee, Friendly, and Navigator's Islands are closely related, situated to the east of Australasia, between the parallel of 12° s., and the southern tropic, under a number of independent chiefs.-Cook's Islands, and the Austral Chain lie to the east of the preceding clusters, contiguous to the Society group and its great archipelagoes. The individual isles are all small, but highly beautiful and fertile. The Feejee and Friendly Islands are about 1,200 miles N. by E. of New Zealand. They were discovered by Tasman, but not examined till the time of Cook. The Feejee natives are of the Oceanic negro race, addicted to cannibalism, and some of the worst habits which disgrace mankind.-The Friendly Islands received that name from Cook, on account of the hospitality he received there, now known to have been deceptive and treacherous. About midway from hence to New Zealand are the Kermadee Isles.-The Navigator's were discovered by Bougain ville in 1768, who gave them the designation, from observing canoes of superior construction dexterously managed.-Cook's Islands were discovered by him in 1773. He called the principal one Hervey, after one of the lords of the Admiralty, a name sometimes given to the group. Raratonga, belonging to it, was first made known by the missionary Williams, who laboured with signal success in the Christian instruction and civilization of the natives. It has a circuit of about thirty miles. The Austral Isles have that name from their position, south of the Society Islands. To bouni, one of the chain, was the temporary retreat of the mutineers who seized the Bounty in 1789. "How pleasant were the songs of Toobouai, When summer's sun went down the coral bay! And hear the warbling birds!" 441. The Society Islands, with the adjoining Georgian group, include about ten conspicuous isles, lofty, volcanic, and fertile, centrally situated in the South Pacific, now subject to the rule of France. Tahiti (Otaheite), the largest, consists of two rounded mountainous peninsulas, towering to the clouds, connected by a low narrow isthmus, the whole circumference amounting to about 140 miles. There are parts of the interior not yet known to the natives, who principally occupy the coast. Seen from the sea, the display of varied green tints from beach to mountain top, diversified with valleys, ridges, glens, and cascades, forms a scene of unrivalled loveliness, which has suggested to the French the appellation of the New Cytherea.-To the east and south-east are the Low Islands and Dangerous Archipelago, consisting of an immense number of coral islets and reefs, generally only slightly raised above the surface of the ocean, rendering the navigation intricate and perilous, to which strong currents and squalls also contribute. The Society and Georgian Isles were first made known by Fernandez de Quiros in 1605, and subsequently illustrated by Wallis, Bougainville, and Cook The latter navigator returned from his second voyage with a native, Omai, the first South Sea islander ever seen in Britain. He was conveyed back on the third voyage, and lapsed into barbarism, disappointing completely the anticipations of Cowper in his "Task," Tahiti has acquired celebrity from various occurrences. Here the transit of Venus was observed by a British scientific mission, in 1769; here the memorable mutiny of the Bounty had its origin; the first messengers of the gospel to Polynesia were sent to its inhabitants; and from its shores successive missions have sailed to the neighbouring islands. 442. The Marquesas form a very definite cluster of thirteen islands, lofty and superbly verdant, in the possession of the French, situated to the north-east of Tahiti, and approaching to within 8° of the equator.-The Scattered Islands of the Polynesian region are numerous to the west of the Sandwich group, to the north of the Navigator's and Society Isles, and to the south-east of the Dangerous Archipelago. Four of the Marquesas were discovered by Mendana in 1596, who named them Marquesas do Mendoza, after the then viceroy of Peru. Cook discovered one in 1776, and the Americans the rest in 1796, who styled them the Washington Islands. Pitcairn's Island, one of the detached Polynesian isles, on the south-east of the Dangerous Archipelago, is of interest as the refuge of the mutineers of the Bounty, who founded a colony, which still survives. Nothing was heard of this colony till the year 1800, when obscure reports of its existence were circulated. After a few visits, it was fully made known by Captain Beechy, who touched at the island in 1825, and furnished the following statement: Original settlers found by Captain Beechy, one having gone away 1 5 10 10 22 15 3 039 Population in 1825 36 30 66 Thus of the fifteen original male settlers, twelve had died by violence, one by accident, one naturally, and one survived. The history is highly instructive, showing how crime begets crime, and one offence is an advance to the commission of a greater. Happily the single survivor had become a thoroughly reformed character; and under his patriarchal care, the infant community had been trained to virtuous and orderly habits. According to recent accounts the Pitcairn islanders have increased to 140, and are equal in intelligence and morality to the inhabitants of the best English village. The island is rocky, and about seven miles in circuit. Easter Island, 2,000 miles from the coast of Chili, and 1,500 from the nearest inhabited land, Pitcairn's excepted, is in the direct route from Cape Horn to Tahiti, with about 1,000 natives. The early navigators remarked upon this island the traces of a race much less barbarous than its present occupiers, in the shape of gigantic stone busts, which have since been destroyed. ANTARCTICA. 443. Islands, and extensive tracts of land, supposed to be portions of a great southern continent, occur towards the Antarctic Circle, and within its limits, a region of no importance to be mentioned, only to complete the view of the known terrestrial superficies. The New South Shetlands are a mountainous cluster, clothed with snow, and girdled with icebergs, situated to the south-east of Cape Horn, being apparently a continuation of the Fuegian archipelago. Deception Island, one of the number, completely volcanic, takes its name from the strong resemblance to a vessel borne by an insular peak near it, hence called Sail Rock by the sealers. In the same quarter are the New Orkneys, Trinity Land, Graham's Land, and Louis Philippe Land, Adelaide, and other islands. Enderby's Land is under the Antarctic Circle, south-east of the Cape of Good Hope. Terre Adelie or Adelia Land, an elevated coast, traced for 150 miles, lies to the south of Australia; and Wilke's Land, which includes it, extends through 1,700 miles, but is not positively known to be continuous. Victoria Land, nearly due south of New Zealand, is by far the most interesting portion of the Antarctic world, named in honour of the present queen, being discovered by a British expedition in 1840. Tho coast rises in lofty mountain peaks, perfectly covered with eternal snow, glaciers descending from near the summits, and projecting many miles into the ocean, forming a perpendicular face of icy cliffs, which forbid the possibility of landing. The country is grandly volcanic, containing Mount Erebus, which emits flame and smoke in profusion, situated in lat. 77° 32' s., much nearer to the south pole than any volcano in the opposite hemisphere is to the north. The following are general conclusions in relation to the Antarctic lands:-1. The vegetable kingdom seems to have no representative, contrary to what is the case in the opposite dark and outer boundary of the earth. Man has never yet gone north beyond the limits of vegetable life; but not the smallest trace of a lichen, or a piece of seaweed growing on the rocks, has been perceived in the high southern latitudes. 2. The Antarctic Zone also differs from the opposite in respect of animal life. The northern regions of "thick-ribbed ice" are haunted by various tribes, white bears, rein-deer, wolves, the polar hare, and arctic fox, some of which seek no southerly migration to avoid the long rigorous winter. While Parry wintered at Melville Island, a pack of wolves nightly serenaded the |