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The Prehistoric Exploration and Colonisation of the Pacific. By Geoffrey Irwin.
C a m b r i d g e U n i v e r s i t y Press, C a m b r i d g e , 1992. 221 pp. Australian price: $49.95.
THE SHEER SIZE of the P a c i f i c O c e a n and the distribution of people through this vast
r e g i o n has b e e n a s u b j e c t of discussion since the times of the first E u r o p e a n explorers.
A c c o m p a n y i n g this discussion are all the d i f f e r e n t theories a n d ideas that gained or lost
support as n e w ideas w e r e h y p o t h e s i z e d and published. T h e net result w a s that a n u m b e r
of p e o p l e w r o t e b o o k s e x p o u n d i n g their theories as to h o w the Pacific w a s colonized in
prehistory, and w h e t h e r or not s u f f i c i e n t skill and t e c h n o l o g y had d e v e l o p e d to allow
v o y a g e s to o c c u r that, in the later stages of colonization, may have covered m a n y
t h o u s a n d s of miles.
T h i s b o o k deals with so m a n y i n t e r - c o n n e c t i n g aspects of Pacific exploration and
c o l o n i z a t i o n that in a r e v i e w it is d i f f i c u l t to look at e a c h area closely. H o w e v e r it is
s u f f i c i e n t to say that the r a n g e of discussion is such that a reader f i n d s that a v o y a g e is
t a k i n g p l a c e as o n e reads, a v o y a g e that b e g i n s s o m e 5 0 , 0 0 0 years a g o in Island Southeast
Asia and c u l m i n a t e s in m o d e r n e x p e r i m e n t a l v o y a g e s both by c a n o e and c o m p u t e r .
U l t i m a t e l y the a u t h o r c l a i m s that the settlement of the Pacific w a s not by s o m e lucky
c h a n c e d i s c o v e r y of habitable land, but w a s the result of the d e v e l o p m e n t of skills and
t e c h n i q u e s o v e r a long p e r i o d of time. T h e s e skills w e r e then i m p l e m e n t e d in a cautious
strategy of sailing into the p r e v a i l i n g w i n d s . T h i s p r o v i d e d a f o r m of insurance by which
the c a n o e c o u l d return h o m e easily if land w a s not f o u n d . A s time went by and the
i n f o r m a t i o n collected d u r i n g these early u p w i n d v o y a g e s a c c u m u l a t e d , navigational and
g e o g r a p h i c a l k n o w l e d g e d e v e l o p e d to the stage w h e r e o t h e r j o u r n e y s that did not proceed
into the w i n d c o u l d be u n d e r t a k e n with s o m e d e g r e e of safety and certainty. A l o n g with
this m o v e m e n t t h r o u g h the Pacific, the a u t h o r r e c o g n i z e s that v o y a g e s between islands
b r o u g h t about c h a n g e s in the culture of the P a c i f i c peoples.
T h e book b e n e f i t s f r o m the fact that a lot of d i s c u s s i o n on this subject has preceded its
publication (including earlier w o r k by Irwin), and t h e r e f o r e m a n y d i f f e r e n t ideas can be
d i s c u s s e d a n d utilized in s u p p o r t i n g or r e f u t i n g contrasting v i e w s and opinions. T h i s in
turn p r o v i d e s the reader with a m a s s of i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m all kinds of sources f r o m prehistorians to sailors. It then r e m a i n s for the individual to m a k e his or her o w n c o n c l u s i o n s
as to the viability of certain theories and ideas. T h e r e a d e r is able to test ideas against
c o m p u t e r simulations, and archaeological data, as the author does to test his o w n hypotheses
on e x p l o r a t i o n and c o l o n i z a t i o n of the Pacific. Irwin has also sailed in s o m e of these areas
both by c a n o e and yacht, so the practicalities of his h y p o t h e s e s could also be tested.
W i t h the recent v o y a g e of T e A u r e r e to R a r o t o n g a and the s u b s e q u e n t controversy that
s u r r o u n d e d the v o y a g e , m a n y p e o p l e m i g h t not be fully c o n v i n c e d of the sea faring and
navigational abilities of the first P a c i f i c e x p l o r e r s and settlers. It m u s t be r e m e m b e r e d that
that c a n o e m a d e it fairly well intact and w a s trying to meet a d e a d l i n e based on organized
events. C o l o n i z a t i o n and settlement had no such t i m e pressures. This book sets out m a n y
r e a s o n s w h y the P a c i f i c w a s able to b e c o l o n i z e d and w h y the direction of colonization
p r o c e e d e d in the w a y it did.
HOTUROA BARCLAY KERR
University of Waikato