Noted Scientist Seeks Origin of the Polynesians

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 206, 19 November 1927, Page 10

Noted Scientist Seeks Origin of the Polynesians

Swedish Expedition Returns from the South Seas RACIAL RESEARCH In an effort to discover the origin of Polynesians in tiie islands of the South Pacific, Dr. Gustave Bergfors,

noted scientist and anthropologist from Sweden, has recently returned to the United States from five months' residence among the peoples that live in the island groups of Hawaii, Samoa and Tonga. Dr. Bergfors collaborated in the work of Professor H. Lundbor, head of the Institute of Race Biology at Upsala, who has made a detailed study of the Swedish Laplanders, another racial group about which little was known, and it was while assisting m these researches that the problem or the origin of the South Sea Islanders attracted his interest. There are three more or less artinct races in the South Seas, anthropologically speaking. These are the Microncsi.ins, who inhabit tne shall anil Caroline Islands: the Metanesians, who live in the New Hebrides New Caledonia, the Solomon ard Islands: and the Polynesians, who are found scattered over the Hawamih Samoan, Tonga, and Cook Islands, who live in Tahiti and the Marques*-. The Maoris of New Zealand are other members of the Polynesian raceNothing is certainly known abut ; the origin of any one of these three groups, who differ from one anotnci so much as to constitute distinct ram : units. The Polynesians are the hghte* in colour. They Possess magnified physiques and are of a higher j of intelligence, according to Dr. : fors, who lived among them and ried his researches far into thel terior, beyond the reach of Ute vm man s civilisation that has p n to most of these island-peoples in form of traders and missionaries. Pure Racial Types “In some respects civilisation is net so good for the Polynesians sajsu; Bergfors. “It destroys their , and institutions which are adapted to their original mode m and substitutes others that tend ‘o stroy their racial integrity, Mtali . general well-being.” VCJ v In Hawaii the Polynesians are much mixed with peoples „ to races, lie says, and it is nec : s iands ;go to the interior of the sanl °“" ‘ m j x ,d ! to find pure racial lypes of | blood. The Polynesian I Samoa is rapidly increasing and n bers about 2J.000. according ani j Bergfors, but in Hawaii, » avin? the Marquesan Group, they _ out. Inter-marriage with other W is proving disastrous to their „ and disease, especially tuberculo-i* prevalent. ,he oriP* Many theories exist as to ta {ori of the Polynesians, says Dr. “e™ One theory is that they cam from India over the Malay Pen Another seeks to prove tluß tne from North-Eastern Asia b> Japan. Race Relationship Dr. Bergfors has measured sands of living persons be lon, m* this race, paying particular a to their heads and teeth, which pr . special means of identification types. He is particular y the morphology of te ? t l2: rf which he traces the rot-indication* racial strains. , , . D n>v The latest scientific method oikj. ing race-relationship is to tax . tests of the various peoples ana .. pare them. Blood-tests will in classifying the various race categories of blood-groups ot -,. valuable results in tracing the re“ ship of one people to another, Bergfors.