46 EXPEDITION TO JA1PAN. 



time, Yisited Lew Chew. It is, therefore, my ohject in these pages to make some more minute 

 researches — at least so far as my opportunities of observing will permit. 



This island appears to he peopled by two distinct races, judging from physical characteristics ; 

 and so it proves upon close investigation, for the one is Japanese, and the other Lew Chewan — 

 properly so called. The peculiarity, though decisive, is not such as to make me doubt their 

 origin in common ; for I believe, and shall show, that they must have sprung from the same 

 branch. There are not wanting, however, some persons who think they are closely allied to 

 the Tagalla race. The latter are spread over the Philippine, Marianne, and other Pacific islands, 

 and are sprung from the Malayan stock of eastern nations. They likewise speak a dialect of 

 the Malay language. There is no affinity between the Lew Chew, Malay, and Tagalla lan- 

 a-ua^es - neither are the relations of their physical peculiarities such as to favor the above opinion. 

 Their manners, customs, and religion are also very different. In some of the expeditions of 

 exploration over the island, some remains of the ancient Hindoo idolatry were discovered, and 

 some surmises were formed that possibly these people were a colony of Indians. Whether 

 these are the relics of a people once existing here, previous to the present races, or the last ves- 

 tiges of a religion of one of the races of this time, which has been supplanted by the wide-spread- 

 in "• Buddhism, is not very easily solved. That a colony of Hindoos may have, in remote times, 

 emigrated to this country, and become lost amopg the natives in the course of ages, is not to- 

 tally improbable ; but I nevertheless doubt it, and rather incline to the idea that the religion 

 was introduced either directly by priests coming from India as missionaries, or by means of the 

 commercial intercourse which has in all ages existed between eastern nations. There are no 

 other indications to prove such an emigration as has just been supposed ; the language has no- 

 thing in its construction to give it any support, neither are the customs and habits of the people 

 similar. Near the temples of idolatry, already mentioned, are some very ancient tombs, which 

 the natives say contain the remains of devils. They, no doubt, were the people who worshipped 

 in these sanctuaries ; and their rites were such as to be condemned, and looked upon as devo- 

 tions to the devil. 



We now come to trace the relation existing between the Lew Chewans and Japanese, and 

 hope to show conclusively that they are branches of the same stock. The former are somewhat 

 more effeminate, and perhaps not quite as intelligent ; but this is owing entirely to local causes. 

 They have never had any intercourse with foreigners, of any account; they live in a mild and 

 temperate climate ; their wants are few ; and nature supplies them abundantly, for the least 

 exertion on their part; so that their ingenuity has never been taxed to invent means of sub- 

 sistence, or to compete with rivals in commerce and politics. These causes have produced the 

 slight differences of physical development observed between the people. They have the same 

 height ; their features are nearly alike ; the head in both is oval, and approaches near that of 

 the European; the frontal bones rounded, and forehead high; the face is oval, and the general 

 expression mild ; the eyes large and animated, though not as much so in the Lew Chewan as in 

 the Japanese ; the irides in both dark-brown or black ; lashes long ; eyebrows rather heavy 

 and arched. The long, angular form of the internal canthus is seldom observed in either. 

 The nose in most persons is rather handsome and well proportioned to the rest of the body ; 

 the root of it is not depressed; as in the Chinese and Malays, neither are the nostrils as widely 

 dilated. The cheek-bones are not very prominent ; and consequently there is not the broad, 

 square face, which is so striking in most eastern people. The mouth is rather large ; the teeth 

 broad, and perfectly white ; the chin of a neat form, and always has a strong black beard — 



