Identifier: oddpeoplebeingpo02reid (find matches)
Title: Odd people. Being a popular description of singular races of man
Year: 1861 (1860s)
Authors: Reid, Mayne, 1818-1883
Subjects: Ethnology Primitive societies
Publisher: Boston, Ticknor and Fields
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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st every respect, — I mean the Tongans,or Friendly Islanders. This appellation scarce requiresto be explained. Every one knows that it was bestowedupon them by the celebrated navigator Cook, — who al-though not the actual discoverer of the Tonga group,was the first who thoroughly explored these islands, andgave any reliable account of them to the civilized world.Tasman, who might be termed the Dutch CaptainCook, is allowed to be their discoverer, so long agoas 1643 ; though there is reason to believe that some ofthe Spanish explorers from Peru may have touched atthese islands before his time. Tasman, however, hasfixed the record of his visit, and is therefore entitled tothe credit of the discovery, — as he is also to that ofAustralia, New Zealand, Yan Diemens Land, and othernow well-known islands of the Southwestern Pacific.Tasman bestowed upon three of the Tonga group thenames — Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Middleburgh; but,fortunately, geographers have acted in this matter with
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THE TOXGAXS. 195 better taste than is their wont; and Tasmans Dutch national titles have fallen into disuse, — while the truenative names of the islands have been restored to themap. This is what should be done with other Pacificislands as well; for it is difficult to conceive anythingin worse taste than such titles as the Caroline and Loy-alty Isles, Prince Williams Land. King Georges Island,and the ten thousand Albert and Victoria Lands whichthe genius of flattery, or rather flunkeyism, has so lib-erally distributed over the face of the earth. The titleof Friendly Isles, bestowed by Cook upon the Tongaarchipelago, deseiwes to live ; since it is not only appro-priate, but forms the record of a pleasant fact, — thepacific character of our earliest intercourse with theseinteresting people. It may be here remarked, that Mr. TTylde and othersuperficial map-makers have taken a most unwarrantableliberty with this title. Instead of leaving it as bestowedby the great navigator, — appli

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