138 
feature of the Papuans which distinguishes them from other 
curly-haired races, is that their hairs grow in clusters, separated 
from one another by sinuous spaces devoid of hair. 
researches proved, however, that this cluster-like disposition of 
hairs does not exist among Papuans, not even among children. 
Finally, several anthropologis's considered the diameter of the 
curls of the hairs as a feature that may help to establish a dis- 
tinction between the Papuans and the Nezritos; these last have 
been supposed to have smaller curls than the former, that is, no 
more than one or two millimetres wide. M. Maclay found, 
however, that the diameter of the curls of the Papuan also does 
not exceed one and a half millimetre, and that it varies very 
much in different parts of the head, so that t is feoture cannot 
be taken as a basis for anthropological classification’ 
After having taken some rest at Buitenzorg, M. Maclay left Bata- 
via in January, 1873, for a third visit to New Guinea. The Malay- 
ans of Celebes have carried on an intercourse with New Guinea 
for more than three or four hundred years ; they go there, as 
well as the inhabitants of the islands Lant, Seram, and Key, for 
the purchase of slaves, turtles, trepang, and pearl shells. To 
establish closer relations with the natives, the Malayans of 
Celebes bring with them Malayan girls, give them as wives to 
the Papuans, and export in exchange Papuan girls who are 
married in Celebes. (These relations were described by P. A. 
Leupe in the ‘‘ Bijdragen tot de Taal-Land en Volkenkunde van 
Nederlandsch-Indie” for 1865.) Therefore it is impossible to 
find pure Papuans on the Papua-Onim and Papua-Notan coasts, 
and M. Maclay took the resolution to go to the Papua-Koviay 
coast. The inhabitants of this coast have a very bad reputation 
as robbers and anthropophagi; but still, M. Maclay hired a 
Malayan “‘ praw,” or ‘‘urumbay,” that is, a boat thirty feet 
long, and, with a crew of two Christians from Amboyna, and 
fourteen Malayans and Papuans, he left the is'ands Seram- 
Lamut, and reached the Koviay coast. Triton Bay (where the 
Dutch had formerly a military settlement) proved to be a beauti- 
ful strait, to which M. Maclay gave the name of the Russian 
Grand Duchess Helena Pavlovna. He discovered also another 
bay that separates the island Namatote from the mainland of 
New Guinea. He stopped at Aiva, between these two straits, 
and his men immediately erected a hut from the “ataps” (a 
kind of mat made from leaves of the tapioca palm) that were 
brought in the boat. The inhabitants of this coast proved to 
belong to the same race as those of the Maclay coast ; however, 
it was easy to perceive, especially among children, unmistakable 
traces of mixture of Malayan blood The size of the men on 
the Maclay coast varies from 1°74 metres to 1°42; the size of 
full-grown women was 1°32. On the Papua-Koviay coast the 
size of the men was from 1'75 to 1:48 metres, and the size of the 
women 1°31. On the Maclay coast the length of the transversal 
diameter of the skull was from 64°0 to 86°4 per cent. of the 
longitudinal diameter, and from 62 to 80 per cent. on the 
Koviay coast, 
Leaving ten men at Aiva, M. Maclay went with the remainder 
of his crew to explore the interior of the mainland, He landed 
opposite Coira Island, and, crossing a range of mountains 1200 
feet high, reached Lake Kamaka-Vallar. He found there a 
tribe which calls itself Vaasirau, but does not differ from the 
inhabitants of the coast. The water of the lake was very warm 
(3° Celsius), and contained an interesting new kind of sronge, 
belonging to the Wal/ichondrie. The rains in this part of New 
Guinea are so copious that Triton Bay is sometimes covered 
with a sheet of sweet water that can be taken in vessels and uced 
for drinking. As the lake has no outlet, its water rises many 
years, sometimes fifteen ad twenty feet, and covers the trees 
that grow on its shores ; but after a period of rising, the rocks at 
its bottom give way, and the water is discharged through a 
temporary outlet, wnich is soon checked by stones and mud. 
Returning to the shore, M. Maclay made excursions to the neigh- | 
bouring islands (‘iscovering coal on Lakahia Island), as well as 
several other excursions to the highlands of New Guinea. In 
Telok Bay the boat of M. Maclay was attacked by a number of 
pirogues of Papuans, but made his escape by rowing all night. 
But his men at Aiva were not so fortunate, They were attacked 
hy 200 Papuans, who destroyed the hut and killed an old man 
who was interpreter, as well as his wife and child, A further 
stay at Aiva was impossible, as the Papuans had poisoned the 
springs ; aid so the party went to stay on Aidum Island, where 
M. Maclay’s hunter brought him every day plenty of interesting 
birds and «ther animals. The New Guinea kangaroo, Dendro- 
logus ursinus, is worthy of mention, as it has to adapt itself to 
Extensive | 
NATURE 
[Dec. 7, 1882 
local conditions, strong nails, and lost at the same time the 
strength of the muscles of the tail ; it has become thus a climbing 
animal and lives mostly in trees, After having taken prisoner 
the chief of the Papuans who had robbed his but, (M_ Maclay 
went one day with a few men to their camp, and simply ordered 
them to tie the chief ; the Papuans, terrified by the sudden 
appearance of a white, opposed no resistance), the party returned 
to the Seram-Lamut Islands, where M. Maclay studied the 
mixed race from the crossing of Malayans with Papuans. The 
anthroplogical results-of these studies have appeared in the above- 
mentioned periodical as an appendix to the paper entitled 
“Meine zweite Excursion nach Neue Guinea,” 1874.” 
The Papuans of the Koviay coast are a very intere ting race 
of -quatic nomads. ‘They were centuries since in relations with 
Malayans, who came to New Guinea especially to purchase 
slaves, exported to a great extent to the Malayan Islands. The 
slaves were formerly purchased among the inhabitants of the 
sea-coast; but to have more slaves these last have begun to 
make raids on the highlanders, who took revenge by raids them- 
selves, so that the inhabitants of the coast were compelled to 
abandon all their villages. They are living now in covered 
boats, and continually cruise in them along the shore in search 
of food, landing only during ‘storms, for in the night, at a few 
well-known places, where they are safe from attacks by the 
highlanders. The Malayans have introduced among them the 
use of gold, opium, and fire-arms, and they are very miserable. 
From the Koviag coast, M. Maclay returned to Java, but 
soon undertook a fourth jcurney to New Guinea, to the southern 
coast, in order to ascertain the existence of a yellow Malayan 
race, which was mentioned several times by missicnaries and 
travellers. After an eleven mo:.ths’ cruise on board a schooner, 
during which he visited the Solomon and Luisiada Islands, M. 
Maclay stopped on Teste Island, and thence proceeded on board 
a schooner to Port Maresby (Anapuata), on the southern cuast 
of New Guinea. During his visits to the neighbouring villages, 
he perceived, indeed, a mixture of Polynesian blood among the 
Papuans. ‘These metiss have a lighter skin and uncurled hair. 
They have also taken fiom the Polynesians the use of tattooing ; 
all women tattoo themselves as long as they have children, and 
M. Maclay remarks that not only himself, but also many 
Earopeans, find that the tattooed Papuan women are really 
better looking than the un-tattooed. They cover thems:lves 
with tattooing from the forehead to the feet, and often shave the 
head to tattoo it. The men are tattooed only to exhibit some of 
their exploits; by simply looking at a tattooed man you can say 
how many foes he has killed. The south coast is inhabited by 
the same Papuans as the other parts of New Guinea. Here 
also brachiocephalic skulls are not uncommon; but the skulls 
are also distorted, as the women used to bear load; on their 
backs, in bags that are attached by a rope to the head. The 
transversal depression of the bones at the Satara sagitalis, which 
results from this custom, is met with very often, and must be 
transmitted by heredity. 
M. Maclay made a fifth visit to New Guinea on board an 
English man-of-war, to exercise his conciliating influence on the 
commander, who was going to burn a whole village and de-troy 
the 20co inhabitants, in order to punish them for killing four 
missionaries. ‘lhe visit was very short. 
M. Maclay concluded his lecture with a few remarks on the 
influc nce of the whites on the inhabitants of the south coast of 
New Guinea. Whil-t rendering justice to the efforts of the 
London Missionary Society, who spread, by means of their 
black staff, the Christian religion, and teach the natives to read 
and write, M. Maclay pointed out that traders follow imme- 
diately the missionaries, and spread among the natives diseases, 
drunkenness, and the use of fire arms, which completely counter- 
balance the good influence of the very small amount of know- 
ledge that might be spread by missionaries. The London Mis- 
sionary Society does not allow its members to be at the sume 
time the bearers of religion and of the above-said ‘‘ benefits of 
civilisation ” ; but several missionaries of other societies appear in 
both these qualities. M, Maclay hopes, however, that the climate 
of New Guinea will be a good ally of the natives in their struggle 
against the white. 
THE AURORA 
V E have received the following further communications 
relating to the electric storm and auroral display of 
November 17 :— 
