Page:Essays ethnological and linguistic.djvu/87

Rh These dialects the Iloco, Jagulo, Bisayan and Cagayan form the principal dialects of the Philippines under the power of the Spaniards at the present day, and are represented as comprising all classes and colors from the deep black of the pure Papuan to the light hues of the mixed or Malay race. Whatever may have been the language originally, it is evident it now extends in its various corruptions very far over the Western Islands of the Pacific; and the wider the knowledge of it we may be able to obtain the more satisfactory will be the opinion we may be able to form respecting it.

Incomplete as it is, the preceding list may yet therefore be accepted as a valuable addition to the Vocabulary published in the 3rd Vol. of the Society's Journal p. 73, with which it will well reward the Ethnologist to compare the several words carefully as it will enable him to trace, I think, very distinctly the course of migration, not only through the islands visually recognized as inhabited by Papuans or Malays, but also many beyond the range generally assigned them. In the excellent work published by Mr. Earl as Vol. I. of the Ethnographical Library there are a few Specimens also given of Papuan and North Australian dialects, which we may regret to find so little extended, as the Author was evidently a writer on whose judgement we might place full reliance. Referring to his table for other dialects, I should wish to insert here the cardinal numbers he gives of the Onin or Woni dialects of New Guinea to be compared with the Philippian 1 Sa, 2 Noewa, 3 Jeni, 4 Faat, 5 Nima, 6 Nem, 7 Tarassa, 8 Taranoewa, 9 Sapoeti, 10 Poesoea. With these, and also with the other dialects, the Arru, more especially considerable resemblances will be found to exist, and it is interesting to observe that the greatest is found with the Onin, of which people Mr. Earl says they "have been considered from time immemorial as the most numerous and best organized of the New Guinea tribes, and whose country has never yet been visited either by Europeans or native traders," p. 59. They are pure Papuans, and the connection therefore to be observed between their language and that of the other people of black or brown or lighter hue in the neighbouring islands will be of material advantage in considering the question of their relationship. Mr. Earl refers to Captain Forrest's account of his Voyage to New