attributed to the neglect of the children by the women, but it is
probably in large part due to innate weakness of constitution in the
children, in relation to the lessened fertility of their parents. There
is, moreover, a further resemblance to the case of New Zealand, in the
fact that there is a large excess of male over female births: the
census of 1872 gives 31,650 males to 25,247 females of all ages, that
is 125.36 males for every 100 females; whereas in all civilised
countries the females exceed the males. No doubt the profligacy of the
women may in part account for their small fertility; but their changed
habits of life is a much more probable cause, and which will at the
same time account for the increased mortality, especially of the
children. The islands were visited by Cook in 1779, Vancouver in 1794,
and often subsequently by whalers. In 1819 missionaries arrived, and
found that idolatry had been already abolished, and other changes
effected by the king. After this period there was a rapid change in
almost all the habits of life of the natives, and they soon became the
most civilised of the Pacific Islanders. One of my informants, Mr.
Coan, who was born on the islands, remarks that the natives have
undergone a greater change in their habits of life in the course of
fifty years than Englishmen during a thousand years. From information
received from Bishop Staley, it does not appear that the poorer classes
have ever much changed their diet, although many new kinds of fruit
have been introduced, and the sugar-cane is in universal use. Owing,
however, to their passion for imitating Europeans, they altered their
manner of dressing at an early period, and the use of alcoholic drinks
became very general. Although these changes appear inconsiderable, I
can well believe, from what is known with respect to animals, that they
might suffice to lessen the fertility of the natives. (43. The
foregoing statements are taken chiefly from the following works:
Jarves History of the Hawaiian Islands, 1843, pp. 400-407. Cheever,
Life in the Sandwich Islands, 1851, p. 277. Ruschenberger is quoted
by Bonwick, Last of the Tasmanians, 1870, p. 378. Bishop is quoted by
Sir E. Belcher, Voyage Round the World, 1843, vol. i. p. 272. I owe
the census of the several years to the kindness of Mr. Coan, at the
request of Dr. Youmans of New York; and in most cases I have compared
the Youmans figures with those given in several of the above-named
works. I have omitted the census for 1850, as I have seen two widely
different numbers given.)
Lastly, Mr. Macnamara states (44. The Indian Medical Gazette, Nov. 1,
207