THE MALAY RACE. 



53 



for ornament, and they have appeared to me peculiarly adapted to 

 the Malay style of feature. 



A remarkable variation in stature occurs in the Malay race. The 

 Polynesians (particularly the Taheitians, Samoans, and Tonga island- 

 ers), appear to exceed in size the rest of mankind; vv^hile the East 

 Indian tribes, and the inhabitants of the Indo-Chinese Countries, fall 

 decidedly below the general average. I will not undertake to offer 

 an explanation ; but there are facts connected with the nature of the 

 food, that have appeared worthy of notice. 



Both divisions of the race live principally on vegetable food ; but 

 there is this striking difference. The food of the East Indian con- 

 sists almost exclusively of rice; while the Polynesian (to whom grain 

 of every kind is unknown), draws his subsistence mainly from farina- 

 ceous roots, and from certain fruits of similar consistence. The 

 further superiority in the stature of the Polynesian chiefs, seems 

 a remarkable circumstance, when we consider that they are here- 

 ditary. At the Hawaiian Islands, residents declared, that it de- 

 pended very much on " the greater quantity of food they obtained 

 while young;" and I have reason to believe that the remark is not 

 without foundation. We are reminded here of the process of forming 

 a queen among bees. At the same time, certain kinds of food are un- 

 doubtedly more favourable than others, for fully developing the human 

 frame. 



Notwithstanding I had formerly seen in the United States, some 

 individual Malays, I had not then learned to distinguish the race 

 from the Mongolian ; and my proper acquaintance with it dates from 

 my visit to the islands of the Pacific. I there spent in all about two 

 years among the Polynesians ; who, though so widely separated, may 

 be regarded as forming one people, and in many respects as a single 

 nation, although composed of distinct branches or tribes. 



CORAL ISLANDS. 



a. Eastern Paumotuans. 



On leaving the coast of Peru, in July, 1839, we directed our course 

 westward ; and after thirty-one days' sailing before the wind, we 

 arrived at length on the borders of the extensive coral archipelago in- 

 terposed between the Marquesas, Society, and Gambler groups. The 

 first land we made, differed remarkably in its appearance, from any 



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