TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION H. 903 



dark eyes would appear lower, and of fair hair higher, in Jersey than they most 

 prohahly would do under the doctor's system of classification. Eed-haired persons 

 are not numerous in Jersey. The average cephalic index of the 239 persons was 

 80'6 (the lowest 678, and the highest 87"5), equal to Broca's mesaticephalic class. 

 The average height of the 110 males measured was 5 feet 7^ inches, but the 

 figures of height were not considered reliable. 



The author concluded that the blood of the Jersey people is largely derived 

 from the old Celtic aboriginal stock, resembling the populations of the Celtic 

 districts of France and I3ritain, the Teutonic or Scandinavian admixture not 

 being large. 



8. On the Past and Present Condition of tlie Natives of the Friendly Islands, 



or Tonga. By R. B. Leefe. 



The author pointed out that there is no inflection of the verb word in its 

 conjugation, the tenses and persons being expressed by means of prefixes. Many 

 English words are incorporated with the language ; every word ends in a vowel, 

 and while two vowels may come together this is not allowable with consonants. 

 The number of pronouns is large ; a dual and plural, inclusive and exclusive, of 

 the person addressed exist. The prefix faka- turns the noun into an adjective. 



The natives are purely agriculturists and fishermen, and on one atoll have a 

 distinct species of fish upon which they feed. 



The author complained much of the government introduced by the missionaries 

 as being one calculated to lessen the happiness of the people to the profit of Man- 

 chester manufacturers ; for instance, one of the first new laws introduced was one 

 enforcing the covering of the body above the waist as well as below. 



Much time is wasted on the laborious manufacture of tupa cloth, which is 

 marked with devices to show from what town it emanates. The making of copra 

 (dried cocoanut) is also a settled occupation of the people. Canoe building, onco 

 »n art, is fast disappearing, and ' in this, as in truthfulness, honesty, and morality, 

 civilisation is fast doing its work, and spoiling one of the originally finest races 

 under the sun.' 



The natives still cook in their earth-ovens. The nets are now usually of 

 European twine, instead of the native fibre aka. To obtain fish by poisoning the 

 water is a common method. 



The building of the houses, which is said to have much deteriorated since 

 Eiuropean intercourse, is still above the level of that of most Pacific islanders. 

 Scientifically their plan is faultless, strength being afforded where the greatest 

 strain comes, and the houses can only be levelled by fire or hurricane, no naila 

 being used, but instead thereof the beams, &c., are fastened with cocoanut husk, 

 and hence their elasticity. 



The women are well cared for, and, with the exception of the arduous manu- 

 facture of the native cloth, have an easy time. In the question of dress and 

 morality the author condemned the views of the missionaries. Love, in our sense 

 of the word, ending in lasting friendship, is unknown to the natives. The population 

 is fast diminishing in numbers. 



9. Bamma Island and its Natives. 

 By P. W. Bassett-Smith, Surg. B.N, F.B.M.S. 



Damma Island is the largest of the Serwati group, in the Banda Sea, and is 

 under Dutch protection. As far as the author was able to make out, there were 

 two more or less distinct types of people. The first with dark brown skins, coarse 

 black hair, either straight or with a tendency to curl, sometimes closely cut ; 

 roundish faces and heads, dark eyes, high cheekbones, nose much sunken at the 

 base, nostrils dilated, mouth rather large, and lips much misshapen by betel chewing, 

 the bolus of which they kept half protruding in a disgusting way ; body with but 

 little hair, occasionally a short wiry beard and whiskers ; height about 5 ft. 6 in., 



