THE PELAGIAN RACE. 



523 



Whatever may be its origin, the Pelagian Negro race now-a-days 

 occupies New Holland, Tasmania, New Caledonia, New Britain, New 

 Guinea, the Fiji Islands, and the Andaman. It comprehends the 

 Australians, the Papuans, the Andamanese, the Alfourous, and some 

 other secondary branches. We often, but erroneously, confound the 

 Australians and Papuans. While both are black, they differ markedly 



AUSTRALIAN 



from one another, and the latter are superior to the former. The 

 Australians are puny and wretched in appearance. They have a pro- 

 tuberant belly, feeble limbs, a long but not projecting face, a depressed 

 skull, long black frizzled hair. Their attire is remarkable for its 

 simplicity : a kangaroo skin flung over the right shoulder ! The 

 custom of painting and tatooing the body is generally adopted among 

 them, as well as among all savages, to whatever race they belong, 



