26 PYGMIES AND PAPUANS 



but on the face it is scanty and frequently altogether 

 absent. 



The most characteristic feature is the nose, which 

 is long and fleshy and somewhat *' Semitic " in outline, 

 but flattened and depressed at the tip. But these 

 characteristics of the nose would not alone suffice to 

 distinguish the Papuans from others were it not for the 

 fact that the alae nasi are attached at a remarkably 

 high level on the face, and so an unusually large extent 

 of the septum of the nose is exposed. It is owing to 

 this curious formation of the nose that the Papuan is 

 enabled to perform his almost universal practice of 

 piercing the septum nasi and wearing there some ornament 

 of bone or shell. 



Apart from physical characteristics many observers 

 have found mental qualities in which the Papuans 

 differ from, and are superior to, neighbouring races ; 

 but these things are so difficult to define, and they vary 

 so much according to local circumstances, that it is 

 not wise to use them as conclusive evidence. It ma}^, 

 however, be said without fear of contradiction that 

 no person, who has had experience of Malays and of 

 Papuans, could believe for a moment that they are 

 anything but two very distinct races of men. The 

 origin of the Papuans is not definitely known, and the 

 existence in different parts of the island of small people, 

 who are possibly of Negrito stock, suggests that the 

 Papuans were not the original inhabitants of New 

 Guinea. 



The history of the earliest discovery of New Guinea 



