HILL TRIBES OF FORMOSA. 7st 
different appearance from the eyes of Chinamen, and the way in 
which they wear their hair—parted in the middle, and tied at the 
back of the head, or worn sometimes loose, hanging down the back 
of the neck, but kept off the forehead by a string of beads or plain 
piece of hempen string—at once decides that they are not of Chi- 
hese origin, but more like Malays than any other Asiatic people. 
Kiver since I first made the acquaintance of the hill tribes of 
North Formosa—as far back as December, 1864—I have been 
strongly of opinion that they were, for the most part, sprung from 
an offshoot of the Malayan race, and it is not inconsistent to sup- 
pose that such daring pirates and buccaneers as the Malays then 
occupying the Malay Peninsula, the East of Borneo, and Islands 
belonging to the Philippine group, should have found their way in 
numbers to Formosa. It may be that they visited for the purpose 
of settling here, or simply as traders, or explorers, but it is more 
likely that, whilst pursuing their piratical courses in the South, 
their vessels were driven by storms to the coast of Formosa, and 
were either wrecked or found shelter there, eventuating perhaps 
in the survivors deciding to remain in the island. 
It is only about thirteen or fourteen years ago that a number of 
Bashee islanders drifted in their boats to the South Cape, and were 
rescued by Mr. PickErtnG (who was then in the South of the 
island) from the savages, and were sent back to their homes. 
Under other circumstances, they might have been compelled to take 
up their quarters for good in Formosa, 
During. my residence here, there have been numerous wrecks of 
Lu Chiian junks on the North-eastern and Western Coast, the 
crews of which, in less civilised times, might have been allowed to 
remain all their lives on the island, if not put to death by Chinese 
wreckers, who were, not many years ago, worse than savages on 
such occasions. In previous years, similar wrecks of Lu Chtan 
vessels might have taken place, and the crews may have remained 
in the island, and may have settled down, married, and left behind 
a curious mixed progeny. 
Previous to my arrival here, and when living at Hongkong, it 
was thought by many people there, that certain vessels which had 
left Hongkong and other Ports in China, had been lost on the Coast 
