486 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G. 



the Malay approaches the shape of the Caucasian ; the frontal 

 bone is not so receding as in the Negro and American Indian, or 

 so flat as the Mongolian. The colour of the skin is olive, or I'ather 

 that of dingy copper. The hair is straight and lank, often of a 

 coarse texture, and worn long. Hair on the face is generally 

 lacking. This may arise from the objection to that adornment, 

 and thence the habit of plucking it out by the roots, by means of 

 fish scales gummed to the forefinger and thumb (an operation 

 more painful than their ancient method of shaving with shark's 

 teeth). The features are soft and well-formed. The nose is 

 somewhat long and aquiline, flatter and broader at the nostrils 

 than those of Europeans. The lips are broad, the teeth formerly 

 strong and healthy. The eye is bright and intelligent, the iris 

 of dift'erent colours, but mostly of a dark brown, and the 

 conjunctiva clear, except where tinted with biliary matter, not 

 infrequent with those whose food consists chiefly of cocoanuts and 

 fish. Their diet for the most part is not at all limited. Esculents 

 abound, and the soil on most of the islands produces a large 

 variety of fruits. The sea, lakes, and rivers supply abundance of 

 fish, and the woods and forests plenty of wild fowl. Pork and 

 poultry are eaten only on special occasions — " red-letter days," 

 such as public feasts and entertainments. 



The Papuan presents quite a difl'erent physique. They are 

 seldom tall, and have rather an ungainly figure. The limbs are 

 sinewy and far less plump and well-formed than the Malayan. 

 The hips and legs are thinner, and the toes turn inwards, heels 

 large and prominent. The skull is more of the negro cast, with a 

 broad and receding forehead, high angular maxillary and malar 

 bones, and strong teeth. The colour of the skin is dark brown, 

 almost black. The hair is black, curling, and bushy ; whiskers 

 and beard of the same colour, and generally profuse. The perspira- 

 tion emits an unpleasant odour, like the negro's. The nose is 

 flatter than in the Eastern Polynesians, and the lips are broad 

 and projecting. The ears are larger than ordinary and elongated ; 

 the lobe is often perforated and extended to admit large rings and 

 other ornaments. In New Guinea the natives perforate the 

 septum of the nose, into which they insert a pearl shell ornament, 

 proti'uding on each side, sometimes resembling pig's tusks. I he 

 dialects of the Malayans are soft and mellifluent, while those of 

 the Papuans are harsh and gutteral. 



Dwellings. — Considerable difterence may be observed in the 

 houses of these distinct races, from which we may gather some 

 idea of their original habits. I have already remarked that the 

 Malays are of a more gregarious character, and dwell together in 

 villages, while the Papuans prefer a scattered existence. We may 

 take the Samoans as an example of the Malayan race. Their 

 villages are generally very compact, forming a line along the sea 

 coast, or lagoon, and here and there their dwellings are erected in 



