6^ KBW GtJINEA. 
led to form the same opinion by the information I 
obtained during a visit to the western paiis of the 
Archipelago in 1832-33-34 from the native tradera, 
-who at that timCj as in the days of Ptolemy the Alexan- 
diian, were the chief sources of information respecting 
New Guinea and the remote eastern islands. 
The inquiriea that I was subsequently enabled to make 
on the spot, while attached to the Port Essington settle- 
mentj led me to ascertain that Alfoeren, &c., was not a 
generic term for a particular race of people ; but was 
generally applied to the inland inhabitants of these 
islands, to distinguish them from the coast tribes^ and 
that it was in common use among those who were ac- 
quainted with the Moluccan dialect of the Malayan 
language. I was also led to suspect that the term would 
prove to be of Portuguese origin^ as is the case with 
many other words in that language, and this opinion 
was confirmed by a learned and experienced Portuguese 
gentleman^ (the Comendador d^Almeida^ Consul-General 
of Portugal at Singapore, and one of the earlier pioneers 
of that settlementj) whom 1 had an opportunity of con- 
sulting in 1845, and who informed me that the term 
"Alforcs/' or '^Alforias," was formerly applied in the 
same sense by the Portuguese in India ; precisely as the 
Spaniards called the aborigines of America " Indios,'^ or 
Indians, and the Mohammedan inhabitants of Sulu and 
Mindano "Moros/* or Moors. The Portuguese term 
"jUforias'* signifies freed- men/' or manumitted 
slaves;'' but the root "fora" means "out/' or "out- 
side," and therefore the term " Alfores" became naturally 
applied to the independent tribes who dwelt beyond the 
