It may be easily perceived, that notwithstanding some words are entirely different, the first five Indian languages are radically the same; though the distance from Easter Island to New Zealand is upwards of fifteen hundred leagues. The principal difference consists in the mode of pronunciation, which in Easter Island, Amsterdam, and New Zealand, is more harsh, or guttural, than at the Marquesas Isles, or Otaheite. The other three differ totally, not only from the preceding, but from each other; which is more extraordinary than the agreement of the others, as from Malicollo to Tanna, you never lose sight of land, nor is New Caledonia at a great distance from the last place. In the language of Malicollo, a great number of harsh labial sounds prevail, very difficult to be represented in writing. At Tanna the pronunciation is likewise harsh, but rather guttural, and the inhabitants of New Caledonia have many nasal sounds, or snivel much in speaking. It may, however, be observed, that in the three last languages, some words are found, which seem to have a distant resemblance to those that go before; as Brr_oo_as in Malicollo, and ´B_oo_ga, or Boogas, in Tanna, both signifying a hog, which at Otaheite, and the Marquesas, is expressed by the word ´Böa, and at Amsterdam by B_oo_´acka. Yet, whether these may not have been accidentally introduced, is hard to determine; because they frequently use two words to express the same thing; as, for instance, in New Caledonia, they call a star both P_ee_j_oo_ and Fy’fat_oo_: the first seems most consonant to the general composition of their language, whereas the second differs very little from E’f_ai_t_oo_ or Whett_oo_, the name of a star at Otaheite. When they mention puncturation, it is commonly called Gan, Gan,galang; but sometimes they say Tata’tou, which is almost the same as Ta’t_ou_, used to express the same thing at Otaheite and Amsterdam. Footnote 22: The letters in italic, as _oo_, _ee_, &c. are to be sounded as one. Those with this ¨ as öe, &c. separately. The accent at the beginning of a word, signifies the chief stress in pronunciation is to be laid there: if over it, at any other part, the stress is laid on that part immediately following. A comma in the middle of a word, either signifies, that it is compounded of two; or, that the same syllables repeated, make the word; in both which cases, a small stop, or pause, must be made in pronouncing it. Transcriber’s Note This book uses inconsistent spelling and hyphenation, which were retained in the ebook version. Some corrections have been made to the text, including normalizing punctuation. Further corrections are noted below: