ETHNOLOGY OF NEW GUINEA. 76 



perhaps all of the appearances which they present 

 may be satisfactorily accounted for by the appli- 

 cation of Mr. Darwin's theory. We have only to 

 presume the whole of the Archipelago to have 

 once formed part of New Guinea :— a supposition 

 highly probable in itself (suggested even by a care- 

 ful examination of the large charts), and strengthened 

 by the total absence of signs of volcanic agency in 

 what the theory in question would require to be an 

 area of subsidence as opposed to those of elevation, 

 such as are known to exist in parts of New Guinea. 

 The ethnology of New Guinea is involved in so 

 much confusion and obscurity for the want of suffi- 

 cient data, that even with the aid of some additional 

 recently acquired information bearing upon the sub- 

 ject, I wish the following brief remarks to be 

 regarded more as probable assumptions than as 

 views the correctness of which admits of demon- 

 stration. Besides, to give all the proofs, such as 

 they are, would cause much repetition of what has 

 been already stated in the foregoing pages. 



I must premise that most of our previous definite 

 information regarding the inhabitants of New 

 Guinea appHes only to a small portion of the north- 

 west coast of that great island in the neighbourhood 

 of Port Dorey, which is known to be peopled by 

 several distinct varieties of mankind, of which one 

 (with which, as occupying the coast, we are best 

 acquainted) is designated the Papuan, or Papua, as 

 generally understood by that appellation when used 



