288 fflSTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 



tattooed, and with few exceptions go naked. Among the numerous varieties 

 of the Papuan stock, that of Viti appears to occupy the principal, that of 

 Van Diemen's Land and MalUcolla the lowest rank. From a mixture of 

 Malays with Papuans arose a mongrel people, who have been denominated 

 Papuans also, but might with much greater propriety be called Papua-Malays. 

 The usages of both stocks prevail amongst them ; some are Mahommedans, 

 others idolators ; and their language is rich in Malay words. Their stature 

 is small ; and their facial angle is at the most 64° to 69^. They inhabit the 

 coasts of Wayoo, Saluati, Gamen, and Battanta, and northern New Guinea 

 from Cape Sabelo to Cape Dorey. 



New Guinea or Papuasia is the centre of Melanesia ; Borneo the place 

 whence the inhabitants originally came. All the natives of Melanesia are 

 more or less yellowish black ; but a stock occurs differing as much from 

 Papuans as do the Bushmen from the Caffres. They inhabit the interior and 

 probably the south of New Guinea, and are denominated Endamenians, owing 

 to their great resemblance to the ugly negroes of the Endamena islands. 

 At one time they must have been very numerous in New Guinea, but have 

 now become rare, by reason of the perpetual persecutions and wars of the 

 Papuans, who excel them in bravery, and are both bodily and mentally supe- 

 rior to them. Most of the Endamenians seen by Europeans are captives 

 designed for sale. They are less black than the negroes of Africa, but 

 yellower than the Papuans ; and this yellow inclines to a dull, sooty brown. 

 Among many tribes, the complexion has more of a faint yellow than black 

 hue ; the cranium is tolerably round ; the forehead retreating ; the hair 

 woolly, and mostly frizzled. Their arms are very long ; their legs thin, and 

 still longer, often covered with hair. They have a huge mouth, a very 

 broad and depressed nose, wide nostrils, and somewhat projecting, but 

 beautifully enamelled teeth. The lower jaw is prominent; the countenance 

 has a repulsive, animal appearance ; and the facial angle is very acute, and 

 of not more than from 60° to 66^. These Endamenians have also been 

 denominated the Australian or New Holland stock ; and occur unmixed, 

 not merely in Australia, but also in New Caledonia, and on most of the 

 Spirito Santo islands. They will be presently mentioned more fully. Our 

 object here was merely to give an outline of the nations of Oceania, in 

 which we have followed the reports of Domeny de Rienzi 



The Inhabitants of the Caroline or New Philippine Islands. 



The natives of the Carolines have a brown, sometimes rather copper-red 

 color. The skin is greasy and soft, as it is sedulously anointed with cocoa 

 oil ; the hair is frizzly and curled, but not woolly like that of negroes. 

 Some of the men destroy the beard. They are strong, handsome, and 

 neatly and well built. Their teeth, however, are disfigured by chewing 

 beteL They dress in mats woven of cocoa and plantain fibres, worn as 

 aprons, and sometimes throw over the shoulder a kind of cloak. Tattooing 

 is universal; the chiefs being more strongly marked than other people. 

 460 



