GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 5 



only advanced this opinion as an hypothesis : " They appeared 

 to us to hold a medium place between those people (Malays) and 

 the Negroes in regard to character, physiognomy, and the nature 

 of their hair." 1 This is all those authors say; but Mr. Lesson 

 instead of quoting this as a mere hypothesis, says, " These 

 people have been perfectly described by MM. Quoy and Gaimard, 

 who were the first to demonstrate that they constitute a hybrid 

 race, and are, unquestionably, the issue of Papuans (properly 

 so called) and Malays located in those parts, and which form 

 the mass of the population." Mr. de Bienzi, on the other 

 hand, has described two varieties of Papuan hybrids : one 

 variety the issue of a crossing between the Papuans and the 

 Malays, the Papou-Malays ; the second variety, the issue 

 of an intermixture between the Papuans and the Alforian- 

 Endamenes the Pou-Endamenes. 2 There is already a com- 

 plication here. Now comes Mr. Maury, who maintains that 

 the race issued from the Papuans and Malays is the Alforian 

 race. 3 What are we to conclude from these contradictions ? 

 M. Quoy and Gaimard had a certain impression, M. Eienzi 

 entertained a somewhat different impression, to which the 

 authorities cited by Mr. Maury are altogether opposed. All 

 is then, as yet, an hypothesis, and the question is as yet 

 doubtful. In this uncertainty it might well be asked whether 

 the Malays, the Alfourous, the mop-headed Papuans, and the 

 Papuans properly so called might not be as many pure races. 

 It is not merely in the region of the mop-headed Papuans that 

 the other three races are to be met with. The Malays, an in- 

 vading people par excellence, have, like the English, established 

 themselves on all the coasts accessible to their vessels, and if 

 the mop-headed race occupies only a very confined district, and 

 is perfectly unknown elsewhere where the same elements are 

 present, we are permitted to conclude that it is not the result 

 of an intermixture. Moreover, Dr. Latham, the most zealous 

 of Dr. Prichard's pupils, informs us that Mr. Earle has seen 



1 Quoy et Gaimard, Observat. sur la constitution physique des Papous, repro- 

 duit dans Lesson. Complement des (Euvres de Buffon, t. in., Paris, 1820. 



2 Domeny de Eienzi, I'Oceanie, t. iii, p. 303. Paris, 1837. 



3 Maury, La tcrre et I'/tomme, p. 365. Paris, 1847. 



