THE HUMAN SPECIES. 455 



result, the Oceanic negroes are ethnically similar to their African rela- 

 tives. There is even the same succession of t3^pes, running from the 

 pygmy Negritoes of Borneo and the Philippines, through the Negroes 

 of Papua and Melanesia, to the Negroids of Micronesia. The Aus- 

 tralians constitute the only exception. The racial aiiinities of this 

 primitive people are somewhat doubtful, though they are in all prob- 

 ability derived from Negro stock. The Australians have lived so long 

 isolated in their island continent, however, that in the course of time 

 they have developed certain ethnic peculiarities. 



Oceania is still connected through Malaysia with Indo-China. The 

 Golden peninsula, in turn, is joined on the west with the Indo-Mediter- 

 ranean-European region, and open on the north to the Asiatic area. 

 During prehistoric times, migrations proceeded along both these lines 

 in successive stages toward the east. From the peninsular portion, peo- 

 ple belonging to the white race — Indonesians they are collectivel}'' 

 called — passed through Malaysia and proceeded thence (probably in 

 canoes or perhaps in proas) to the scattered islands of Polynesia. Mon- 

 uments and stone records still mark the path of this Indonesian dis- 

 persion even as far as Easter island. Miscegenation with Negro 

 natives doubtless occurred along the route, accompanied by adaptation 

 to the different environments; but withal, the original type has been 

 preserved, so that the surviving Indonesians, classified geographically 

 as Polynesians, still show distinct Caucasic characteristics. The Mon- 

 gols who pushed south somewhat later from the Asiatic area into the 

 Golden peninsula became deeply impregnated with Indonesian blood 

 in these parts. The mixed Malay race thus constituted subsequently 

 spread out through the adjacent islands and eventually established their 

 supremacy over Malaysia. Some of them, notably the Bujis, became 

 a sea-faring folk, and by establishing commercial connections with the 

 surrounding islands, extended Malaysian influence still further across 

 the Pacific. 



During the middle ages Saracen traders reached these parts from 

 Arabia, and from very early times Chinese emigrants have continued 

 to establish out-post settlements upon the littoral islands of Asia ; but 

 with these later influences we have not at present to deal. It is 

 enough to know that the inhabitants of Oceania trace their ethnic 

 origin to the three great races of the old world. In the tropical con- 

 tinental islands of ]\Ielanesia, the Oceanic Negroes predominate. Scat- 

 tered over the oceanic islands of Polynesia are the Indonesian descend- 

 ants of an ancient Caucasic line. Throughout Malaysia the Mongolic 

 Malays prevail. The island continent of Australia contains a peculiar 

 population, probably derived originally from Negro stock, while the 

 tiny islets of Mikronesia support scanty settlements of mixed 

 Melanesian-Polynesian people. 



