THEimpedimentoftongueswasonethatIparticularlyover-
　　estimated。ThelanguagesofPolynesiaareeasytosmatter，thoughhardtospeakwithelegance。Andtheyareextremelysimilar，sothatapersonwhohasatinctureofoneortwomayrisk，notwithouthope，anattemptupontheothers。
　　Andagain，notonlyisPolynesianeasytosmatter，butinterpretersabound。Missionaries，traders，andbrokenwhitefolklivingonthebountyofthenatives，aretobefoundinalmosteveryisleandhamlet；andevenwheretheseareunserviceable，thenativesthemselveshaveoftenscrapedupalittleEnglish，andintheFrenchzonethoughfarlesscommonlyalittleFrench-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。