SOUTH-WEST COAST, 
07 
" Tlic huts of these negroes, which are seattei-ed along 
the beach, are low and open on all sides : the soil arOTmd 
the' nil age was white sand, on which numbers of large 
trees grew, many camarinas being among thera. A small 
river ran into a bay immediately opposite to our an- 
chorage. On going on shore we were as unsuccessful as 
on the water, in our attempts to communicate with these 
shy people, as they always fled on our approach, and 
climbed into the trees at a distance. To judge from 
the number of houses and men that we saw, the coast 
hereabouts must be very populous. We saw at a distance 
some other houses, which appeared to be mucli larger 
than those on the beach. Some bones, prabably those of 
buffaloes, were met with, but not the least trace of agri- 
culture, arts, or civilisation, I was sorry, nevertheless, at 
not being able to communicate with the natives, and the 
next morning I continued my voyage, it being tolerably 
certain that all endeavours to make friends with them 
would be fruitless/'* 
The people described by Mr. Kolff as having 
whitisb^^ skins, were probably afflicted with ichthyosis, 
a disease which gives the skin a leprous, scaly appearance, 
and is very prevalent among all the coast tribes of the 
Archipelago • but it is more striking among the Papuans, 
owing to the little clothing they wear, and the contrast 
which the diseased parts present to the natural dark 
colour of the skin. Mr, Kolff also notices the practice 
which attracted the attention of Captain Cook and his 
companions, and led them at first to suppose that the 
* « Voyage of the * Dourga,* *' S:c,, p. 323 ei teq. 
