436 STUDIES, SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL chap. 



rest of the inhabitants of the globe, that it is impossible 

 not to look upon them as being really related to each 

 other, and as representing an early variation, if not the 

 primitive type of mankind, which once spread widely over 

 all the tropical portions of the eastern hemisphere. Suc- 

 cessive incursions of the lighter-coloured, smooth-haired 

 races seem to have exterminated them in many of the areas 

 they once inhabited, while in some widely-scattered spots 

 a iew scanty remnants continue to exist. Two important 

 groups, however, remain predominant in regions very far 

 apart, but each well suited to their vigorous development. 

 The Negro of Africa has been made the servant of the 

 more civilized races from the earliest periods of history, 

 and is better known to us than any other uncivilized 

 people ; while the Papuan or Melanesian, inhabiting a 

 group of tropical islands on the other side of the globe, 

 still remains a mere shadowy name to the great majority 

 of English readers. We will proceed to point out the 

 chief physical and mental characteristics, habits, and cus- 

 toms, of this interesting race as it exists in New Guinea, 

 with occasional references to such modifications of it as 

 occur in the other islands. 



We now possess trustworthy descriptions of the Papuans 

 as they exist at numerous localities scattered all round the 

 extensive island they inhabit : and the substantial agree- 

 ment of these descriptions renders it pretty certain that 

 all belong to one race, exhibiting, it is true, considerable 

 variations, and occasionally presenting undoubted signs of 

 intermixture with other races, but always showing a 

 decided predominance of true Papuan characteristics. In 

 stature they present a medium between the short Malays 

 and tall Polynesians, the average height varying at 

 different parts of the coast from five feet two to five feet 

 eight inches. Some tribes in the interior are believed to 

 be as dwarfish as the Negritos of the Philippines, while 

 others are nearly equal to the tall Fijians, who are often 

 considerably over six feet high. They are strong and 

 muscular, but rather less finely formed than many of the 

 Malayan and Polynesian tribes. Their colour is usually a 

 chocolate-brown, sometimes almost black, at others almost 



