Australian, and Malayu- Polynesian Nations. 225 
riving a scanty subsistence from the productions of nature, living in 
conical-shaped huts ; or, where they appear as occupants of the sea- 
coasts, roaming about in small canoes in search of food. Some of 
the more independent tribes, by which I mean those who have ex- 
clusive possession of the country they inhabit, have, however, adopted 
many improvements. In several parts of the north and of the south 
coasts of New Guinea, the villages consist of one large house, 
erected on piles, and occupied by all the married people, with a 
smaller one adjacent for the bachelors. These houses bear a very close 
resemblance to those of the Dyaks of Borneo, but are smaller, and 
of more rough construction. Here the Papuans also cultivate fruits, 
yams, and sweet potatoes, and keep hogs and poultry to kill for food ; 
in fact, are almost on a level, as far as regards agriculture, with the 
more uncivilised tribes of the Malayu-Polynesians, from whom, in- 
deed, if we may judge from the names employed to designate their 
agricultural productions, they have derived this slight but important 
advance they have made in civilization. 
The weapons of the Papuans are heavy wooden clubs, spears, or 
lances of nibong or other hard wood, and darts formed of a small 
kind of bamboo, provided with points of hard wood, or of sharpened 
‘bone. The lances are projected generally by means of a becket of 
sennit, about a foot and a half long, one end of which is provided 
with a toggle. This is held between the fingers, while the other 
end is fastened to the lance with what sailors call a “ half-hitch” 
knot, which flies off when the lance is projected, thus allowing it to 
go free. The becket gives a greatly increased purchase to the 
thrower, but is much inferior, in this respect, to the womera, or 
“throwing-stick” of the Australians, which will be described when 
we come to speak of that people. The darts are projected by means 
of a powerful bow, often six feet in length, with a bowstring of rat- 
tan. I suspect that this instrument was not originally Papuan, but 
has been adopted from the Polynesians. Stone axes, and knives of 
_ quartz are now superseded among all those tribes, who have either 
direct or indirect communication with the traders of the Archipelago, 
__ by Parang, or chopping-knives of iron. Their agricultural instru- 
‘ments are mere stakes of wood, sharpened at one end, which prove 
sufficient to effect the rude interference with nature required by their 
_ mode of cultivation. 
_ The art of navigation appears never to have been in a very ad- 
_ vanced state among the Papuans, since their navigation has only ex- 
tended to those countries which could be reached from the continent 
of Asia, without entailing the necessity of going out of sight of land; 
nor are they yet sufficiently advanced in the science of navigation to 
_ Wenture on any other than coasting voyages. Towards the eastern 
limits of the Papuan race, where they come in close contact, and are 
_ often mixed with the Polynesians, navigation is in a more advanced 
VOL. XLVI. NO, XCVI.—APRIL 1850. P 
2 The Papuans, for the most part, exist only in a savage state, de- 
