THE EASTERN ARCHIPELAGO, 



phy-dcal typo :niil mental oualities. there prevails ft considerable diversity 

 in itm appearance, social usages, and general culture of the various branches 

 cti this race. Such discrepancies are to bo attributed partly to the wide 

 ralitjv ti' i Upied I'V thclu, hut IUll<h More to On- iii!lu-tf-.' of tin- Mai iys 

 FolyjMtianBj ami other peoples with whom they have been in contact from 

 the ZtJSUttest times, especially on the Mtnallcr islands and around the sea- 

 Ixwinl of XfW (jiiinea. Thus it happens that while sotie! ar<- denci-ilied an 

 fairly intelligent, skilled husbandmen, endowed with some artist in taste 

 shown 1 *p« . hilly in their curious wocd-carviugs r and altogether enjoying a 

 considerable decree of culture, otln'is np|iear (-J be very Kittle DT not at 

 nil removed from the purely savage state- . lotto 1 and oot nomad r Hvtnja 



entirely on the products of the ehase, or on captive* laken in the 1 1 i 1 ■ 1 ! 

 wars wit how fixed habitations, and ignorant of the most nidime-ntnry arts. 

 Mikliilshn-Maclay resided some time it few year* ago amongst some com- 

 mtmittet on the Dorth*wa*l coaetof Xew tiuiiuM, who bad no IcmnrkdlM 

 of the metals, nil their implements being made of stone, lames, anil wood. 

 Tin y diil in>l even know how to make fire, so that when extinguished in a 

 hut it bad U) be brought from another, or from a neighl»ounng village if 

 n'\tiii^n;>|i.-rl in .ill fli" ..f 'I 'i ill' ..■ .in ..-. Their grandfather* told 

 them of a time when they hud no fire, ami ate their fond o^uile raw, Thuv 

 do not bury their dead, but place them in a pitting position covered with 

 leaves of the cocoa-palm, the wife keeping a fire close to thu corpse for two 

 or tltreu weeks till it h ipiite dried, 



I5ut apart from extremes, Wallace's classical description of the average 

 Papuan may be accepted as fairly accurate " The moral uhnracterixtics 

 of the I'npuftn appeal to separate hirn as distinctly from the Malay a* do 

 his form and features, lie is impulsive and demons [rativis hi speech titid 

 action. II Lk etEiolirtiis and passions express thflHMwtv^ in shunt*, and 

 laughter, Lu yell* ami frantic lenpinys. Women nm I children luk-? thuir 

 share iit every discussion,, and seem little alarmed at 1 he nigh ( of stn libera 

 and BOjRmOfttUt}< Of the intellect- of this nu-u it in very djlkVutc ti« judm 1 , 

 but I inn i lie [in to rate it soininvhal I ■ i r 1 1 • "' in * .it nf the Maiay.t, 

 uolwiihalaudinjj the fnct that the Papuans have never yet mftdi any 

 nilviirie - lowavls r-jyilisnl ion. Tie- l'apuau Ins iiiuch more rilnl energy, 

 which would certainly greatly \m*ht hin iulvllectual development. Papuan 

 staves show no inferiority n{ iutcllt-ct ccunptred with Mwhiya, hut rather 

 the ooiitniry; ami in Iho Moleooaf they aiu often promoted to jilni^-Ji of 

 tonsil lc: able trust. The Tapuan his greater footing for art than the Malay. 

 Hi .|i ■ - liin eanoOi hit house, nnd almost cv.-iy diiuestie nteii^il with 

 chilmi-iLe earvtut's, a huliit which is randy f mud lun'ong trilies of the Malay 

 race," — Malay Arvhipctogo, ch. xl. Forties also apeabi of thu high artistic 

 ability of the Timor-laut Papuans, **very dift-tingered ami el- • •• ov-i . 

 of wikxI and ivory. The figure-heads uf their outrider prans,, dug out of 

 siiii-l- trivi, H-i]n-.d»lly altr.i t ;<<Mitio» by the excellence of the workinniv 

 hhip. eart fully and potkntly executed, atul the eii'gance of their fLtruiah* 

 tngi ; while the whole length of their house* are ib :. iih.hl elaborately 

 carved witis intricate patt.-i us arnl repiw, ntiiiiuim- nf ermred ilea and other 

 nminnlsL Their nppreciatmn of beauty u a ehicrueti-risti. ot Hi. mil, which, 

 ahsohiltdr wanting in the Malay people, I m ih mi t prised to find amuu^ a 

 lesa ndvauced race." — A Xat urn list's lVaatUriinj9 t p. 817* 



Of foreign ntttions by jfer the most nttmeroafl and wcdaUy inlluen- 

 tial nre the CltlM-^K, wlm are lUuiicnuis e>]>i!ciu]ly in Suniatni, Juvu, 



