2i>0 BAi\DA, [cttAP. XIX. 



for U3 to alfect indignation at the conduct of the Dutch, 

 who canitiil out a much more justi liable, less hurtful, and 

 Tinore proutable sj'stem in their Ea*!tern possessions. I 

 chalieni,'(^ objectoi-s to point out any physical or niord.1 evils 

 that have actually resulted from the action of the Dutch 

 Government in tliis matter; whereas such evils are the 

 ftdmitti'd results of every one of our monopt>lies and restric- 

 tions. The conditions of the two experiments are totdly 

 dirterent. The trne " political economy" of a biglierj when 

 governing a lower race, has never yet been worked out. 

 The application of our "political economy" to such cases 

 invariably results in the extinction or degradation of the 

 lower race; whrnce we may consider it probable timt one 

 of tlie necessary conditions of its truth is, the appro.xi- 

 raate mental and social unity of the society in which it is 

 api'lied. 1 shall again refer to this subject in my chapter 

 on Teroate, one of the most celebmted of the old spice- 

 islands. 



The natives of Banda are very much mixed, and it is 

 proliable that at least three- fourths of the population are 

 mongrels, in various degrees of Malay, Papuan, Arab, 

 Portuguese, and Dutch. The first two form the basis of 

 the larger portion, and the dark skins, pronounced featuies, 

 and more or less frizzly hair of the Papuans preponderates. 

 There seeins little doubt that the aborigines of Bamla 

 were Papuans, and a portion of them still exists in the 

 K«S islands^- where they enngrated when the Portuguese 

 first took possession of their native island. It is such 

 pcuple JUS these that ai-e often looked upon as transitional 

 forms between two very distinct races, like the Malays 

 and Papuans, whereas they are oidy examples of inter- 

 nnxture. 



The animal productions of Piandii, though very few, arc 

 interesting, The islands have perhaps no tnily indigenous 

 Mammalia but bats. The deer of the iloluccas and the 

 jiig liHYc probably been introduced. A species of Cuscus 

 or Eastern opossum is also found at Banda, and this may 

 Ijc truly indigenous in the sense of not having been 

 introduced by man. Of birds, during my three visits of 

 one or two rlays each, I collected eight kinds, and the 

 Dutch ojliectors have added a few others. The most 



