THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



101 



inherited the right from a spiritual 

 source. 



The New Caledonians, in common 

 with the Fijians, but not to such a 

 marked extent, show signs of the Poly- 

 nesian infusion. They are largely on 

 the decrease, and the time is not far 



Fijian Man. — Melanesian with slight Polynesian 



infusion, wearing old style of tapa head 



dress and beating drum. 



distant when the New Caledonian will 

 become extinct. The special features of 

 these jieople include currency made from 

 the fur of the Hying fox, a crude form 

 of pottery ; adze blades and ornaments of 

 greenstone, and a plaited device for 

 throwing spears. 



A short account of the Fijians not 

 elsewhere included may complete this 

 brief description of the Melanesians. 

 They are a fine race, though formerly 

 much addicted to cannibalism. Their 

 weapons are massive clubs and spears, 

 and a Melanesian type of bow and ar- 

 rows. Potteiy with a vegetable glaze, 

 and tajja clotli are made by the women 

 folk, but the output of both is consider- 

 ably reduced, while the former is al- 

 most an abandoned art due to the intro- 

 duction of European utensils. The 



drinking of kava, or yagona, introduced 

 by the Polynesians may also be men- 

 tioned. 



PAPU ASIANS 

 (PAPIAXS AND PAPUA-MELANESIANS) 



The great island of New Guinea lies 

 immediately to the north of Cape York, 

 Queensland, and is separated from Aus- 

 tralia by the shallow waters of Torres 

 Strait. The western half is Netherlands 

 (Dutch) territory, while the eastern 

 part was, till recently divided longitu- 

 dinally into German and British New 

 Guinea, the latter or southern portion 

 being officially designated Papua. 



Many islands lie off the south-eastern 

 extremity, and those in Torres Strait 

 form, as it were, stepping stones be- 

 tween Australia, and the land of the 

 Papuan. The true. Papuan, a taller race 

 'than the Papuo-Melanesian, inhabits the 

 north, north-western and south-western 

 portion of the island, including also the 

 Torres Strait, whilst the latter mixed 



Man, Dutch New Guinea. True Papuan, 

 showing clothing, and woolly nature of the 

 hair. 



Photo — R. G. Xiall. 



