Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 467 



vjoolly-hairecl race of Eastern Asia that had ever been seen in this 

 country. He was examined by the late 8ir Everard Home, who 

 drew up some remarks on his physical conformation, as compared 

 with that of the African Negro race, which were published by Sir 

 Stamford Raffles in the Appendix to his History of Java (edit. 1817, 

 vol. ii. App. p. ccxxxv.), illustrated with an engraving of the Pa- 

 puan, from a portrait by Phillips. 



At the period of the discourse on the Sunda Isles and on Japan, 

 which he delivered before the Batavian Society of Arts and Sci- 

 ences, in 1815, Sir Stamford appears to have been of opinion, that 

 this woolly-haired race of modern Asia had been originally derived 

 from the African continent, and that their existence throughout the 

 Indian Archipelago, indicated, that extensive intercourse had taken 

 place, in ancient times, between the Asiatic islands and Ethiopia. 

 But the researches into the physical and political history of the 

 varied population of the Indian Archipelago, into which he was led, 

 subsequently, by the preparation for the press of the History of 

 Java, which he published in 1817, appear to have shaken his belief 

 on this point. For, in that work {iibi sup.), after noticuig the opi- 

 nion of their origin which he had formerly adopted, as just stated, 

 and also the opposite notion of their being the aboriginal inhabi- 

 tants of the countries through which they are now scattered, he 

 merely says, " 1 shall content myself with observing, that they 

 appear at the present day to form the bulk of the population of 

 Papua or New Guinea*." 



Since the publication of the History of Java, the scattered infor- 

 mation which was previously extant respecting the people of the 

 various Archipelagos in the Indian and Pacific oceans, has been 

 collected together and combined ; chiefly by those naturalists whose 

 attention has been more especially devoted to the physical history 

 of the human species: b}' this means, considerable light has been 

 thrown upon the interesting subject now before us. 



• Subsequently to the preparation of the above article for the press, the 

 writer has observed another statement of Sir Stiiniford Raffles's views ri.-- 

 s[)cctin{; the ori}.'in of the Pajjuan race, which it would be unfair to omit 

 while discussing the fluctuation of liis opinions on tliis subject. It is con- 

 tained ill a letter Irom Sir Stamford to Mr. Wilberibrce, dated September 

 181!) (Memoir of the Life and Public Services of Sir T. S. Raffles, by his 

 Widow, p. 410), anil is as follows: "I am far from concurrin;; in the opi- 

 nion regarding; the aborigines of these islands, and rather consider the 

 Catfi-es [the term Cfijfres is used by Sir Stamfortl, throughout his corre- 

 spondence, in reference to inhabitants of the Indian Arcln|)elago, as sy- 

 nonymous with that of Papuans, as above defined] we now find in them to 

 have been brought by traders in remote periods as slaves — as such they are 

 generally considered and treated whenever entrapped." When taken in 

 conjunction with Sir Stamford's former opinions, as cited above, this merely 

 shows that his mind continued in a state of indecision on the subject, but 

 inclining to a lielicf in tlie alleged African origin of the Pajiuans: being, 

 however, nothing more than an opinion, it leaves the subse(|uent represen- 

 tations ill the text untouched. Nothing farther occur» on the subiecl in 

 tiie Memoir here quoted. 



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