236 PHYSICAL CHARACTERS. 



inhabitants of the rest of the Indian Archipelago 

 peopled by this race, as also to the aborigines of 

 most of the islands of the Pacific. 



Papuan race. — Of these people we saw those 

 inhabiting the islands of Torres Strait, and parts 

 of the south-east shores of New Guinea, and a few 

 individuals (slaves in Java) said to come from the 

 western or north-western shores of New Guinea. 

 The generality of these people did not differ very 

 greatly from Europeans in the stature or propor- 

 tions of their bodies. Their limbs were generally 

 rounder in outline, and less muscular in aspect than 

 would be found among our labouring population at 

 home, and they had not the squareness of build 

 remarkable in the Malay race. Their features 

 were frequently good, compared with the Austra- 

 lians, the forehead broad though not high, the 

 head generally rather square, the nose slightly 

 aquiline, but broad at the base, with open nostrils, 

 the lips rather thick. Their faces not unfrequently 

 reminded us of those of the Jews. The eyes were 

 sufficiently large and well formed, not too deeply set, 

 nor with the overhanging brow of the Australian. 

 The colour of the skin is commonly of a deep red- 

 dish brown, but we saw some individuals in New 

 Guinea of a pale frog-like yellow colour. The hair 

 of these people is very peculiar, and at first sight 

 might be confounded with the wool of the negro. 

 Its distribution is most easily seen on the body and 

 limbs, where it may be observed to grow in small 



