THE HEAD-HtTKTERS OP CERAll 



m 



lewp stationed here told us of tlie *' Alfura-'* who 

 dwelt among the neighboring mountains; and, that 

 I might have the opportunity of seeing these wild 

 savageSy the Resident kindly sent a number of the 

 coast people to invite them to come down and per- 

 form their war-dance before ns. In a few hours a 

 party of about twenty appeared. Only eight or ten 

 vrere able-bodied men ; the others were women, chil- 

 dren, and old men. In height and general appear- 

 ance they closely resemble the Malays, and evidently 

 form merely a subdi\dsion of the Malay race. Their 

 peculiar characteristics are the darker color of their 

 skins and of their hair, %vhich, instead of being lank 

 like that of the Malays, is crisp, but not woolly like 

 that of the Papuans. They wear it so very long, that 

 they may properly be said to have large and bushy 



under WaJiai, forty tboasand nine hundred and twenty-fire ; aod^ in the 

 great areaeiustof Elpaputi Bay, it was supposed that tliero dwelt between 

 twenty-one and twenty-two thousand ; making a total of eighty-nine 

 thousand and eighty-se^en, abont ninety tliousand ; but Dr, Bleeker, who 

 gives these figures, thinks there are hjilf as many more people among 

 the momitainSi and that the whole population of the island should he 

 put down at one hundred and fifty thonsand. Ho ^ves the population 

 of these ialaiidA for 1655 in round nombera aa follows : 



Amboliia..... AmDlati,.., 1,000 Manlpa TOO 



Harnkii 7,300 Bouim 1,GOO Baparuft ...... 11,000 



Bnra, *,900 NuwOaut. , 8JS00 Coram 150,000 



. Total..... msan 



These f!gnres may be regarded oa good estimates of the population at the 

 present time. 



* This name Alfura, in Dutch Alfoera, is also written Alfora, Alafora, 

 Arafura, and Halafora. Mr. Crawford finds that it is composed of the 

 Arabic articles alor^ el^ and the prepoftition f<mi^ without ; and was simply 

 a general denomination given by the Portuguese when they were ea- 

 prenie in the Molneoas to all the native inhabitants who were withont 

 the pale of their authority. 



