404 



THE ARU ISLANDS, 



[chap. xxx:. 



off into the pale "brown tint of tlie finely divided and softly 

 waving points. The whole hird is then ovei-sbadowed by 

 them, the crouching body, yellow bead, and emerald green 

 tliroat forming but the foundation and sotting to the goMen 

 glory which waves aljove. When seen in thia attitude, tbe 

 Bird of Paradise really deserves its name, and must be 

 ranked as one of the most beautiful and most wonderful of 

 living things. I continued also to get specimens of tlie 

 lovely little king-bird occasionally, as well as numbers of 

 brilliant pigeons, sweet Httle parroquets, and many curious 

 small birds, most nearly resembling those of Australia and 

 New Guinea, 



Here, as among most savage people I have dwelt among^ 

 I w^as deUghted ^vith the beauty of the human form — a 

 beauty of which stay-at-home civilized people can scarcely 

 have any conception. \\Tiat are the finest Grecian statnes 

 to the lining, moving, breathmg men I saw daily aromid 

 me ? The unrestrained grace of the naked savage as he 

 goes about his daily occupations, or lounges at his ease, 

 must be seen to be understood ; and a youth bending Ms 

 bow is the perfection of manly beauty. The women, 

 however, except in extreme youth, are by no means so 

 pleasant to look at as the men. Their strongly-marked 

 features ai'e veiy unfeminiue, and liard work, privations, 

 and very early marriages soon destroy whatever of beauty 

 or grace they may for a short time possess. Their toOet is 

 very simj>Ie, but also, I am sorry to say, very coarse, 

 and disgustiDg. It consists solely of a mat of plaited 

 strips of palm leaves, worn tight round the body, and 

 reaching from the hips to the knees. It semis not to be 

 changed till worn out, is seldom washed, and is generally 

 veiy dirty. This is the universal dress, except in a few 

 cases whem Malay " sarongs " have come into use. Tlieir 

 frizzly hair is tied in a bimch at the back of the hoad. 

 They delight in comliing, or rather forking it, using for that 

 purpose a lai"ge wooden fork with four diverging prongs, 

 which an.'^wers the purpose of separating and arranging 

 the long tangled, frizzly ma^ of cnmial vegetation much 

 In ttcr than iiny coinb could do. The only ortiaments of 

 the women are earrirjgs and necklaces, which they arrange 



