21 
people will recognize the characteristics which I have given 
as being almost equally applicable to both. It is for this 
reason I have proposed to use one name for all — the Eastern 
and Western Papuans, those of Polynesia and those of the 
Indian Archipelago. 
In a lecture delivered last year at the Royal Institution 
Prof. Flower, F.R.S., virtually admitted that these people are 
alike, although he used different names for them. After 
speaking of those in Polynesia under the usual name Melane- 
sians, he says : — 
“ People having very much the same physical characters as 
the Melanesians inhabit the islands of the Louisiade Archi- 
pelago, those of Torres Straits, and a very considerable part 
of New Guinea, and even some of the islands farther "west, as 
Aru, Timor, Gilolo, &c. The exploration of New Guinea in 
an ethnological sense is only now commencing, and promises 
a most interesting feature. The greater part of the island is 
certainly inhabited by a dark-skinned race, with crisp or 
frizzled hair; indeed, the name by which they are frequently 
known, Papuans, is said to allude in the Malay language to 
the latter peculiarity. It is, however, very doubtful whether 
they all possess the uniform characters of the genuine Melane- 
sian.”* The last sentence refers to a now well-know ft 
mixture of races in parts of New Guinea, which 1 shall 
have occasion again to mention. 
Until recently I should have said the eminent naturalist, 
Mr. A. R. Wallace, controverts the opinion of the essential 
unity of the Papuans of Polynesia and those of the Indian 
Archipelago. But his article in the Contemporary llevieiv for 
February lastf shows clearly that he has changed his view on 
this point since he wrote his “ Malay Archipelago.” In this 
recent article he speaks of tc the Papuan or Melanesian.” 
And in his description of the people he speaks indiscrimi- 
nately of natives of New Guinea, New Caledonia, and the New 
Hebrides ; and he gives the area occupied by the people as 
one “ of which New Guinea is the centre, extending westward 
as far as Flores, and eastward to the Fijis.” 
I feel some satisfaction in noting this change in Mr. Wal- 
lace's views, because not many years agoj I tried to prove 
he was wrong in believing that all the people of Polynesia 
belonged to one race, and had no relationship with the 
* Royal Institution Lecture , May 31, 1878, p. 38. 
t New Guinea and its Inhabitants. See pp. 420-428. 
£ Contemporary Review , Feb., 1873. 
* 
