19 
few redeeming qualities. Affection is no doubt manifested 
towards children, but even this is seen among tho lower 
animals, and does not, of itself, indicate much tenderness of 
disposition. 
In their mode of government might is right; and might is 
nearly the only thing which commands anything like respect. 
Intellectually too I should say the Papuans are low. As a 
rule they appear to lack the elaborate traditions and poems 
and songs found among many barbarous races. I think there 
are few indications among them of much power of mind. Re- 
ligiously, too, they are low. They are not naturally a 
people possessing much religious feeling or reverence. Their 
religious systems, such as they have, are more of the nature 
of fetishes than anything else. 
In arts and manufactures they are comparatively low, 
although there are some exceptions. Usually their houses are 
poor structures. On many islands the people have no boats, 
or their canoes are of very inferior construction. As a race 
they are not navigators. Their arms are, however, somewhat 
elaborately made, and most of them make a coarse kind of 
pottery. In some parts of the Solomon group the people build 
much better houses than those usually found among the 
Papuans; they also carve some of the woodwork in their 
houses rather elaborately, and build good sea-going boats. 
These things are, however, so exceptional that I am convinced 
they indicate contact and mixture with another race. In Fiji 
the people build good houses and good boats ; but we know 
the Fijians are mixed with Sawaiori blood. I think it a justi- 
fiable inference that the Solomon islanders are also consider- 
ably mixed : and the reports of visitors to the group respecting 
the size, colour, and appearance of some of the people prove 
this inference to be correct. 
Indeed throughout the whole of the Papuan region there is 
evidence of more or less mixture of the people with Sawaiori 
blood. In some islands there are pure colonies of the latter 
people, who keep themselves distinct from their blacker neigh- 
bours; but in many other places they have mixed with the 
black aboriginal population, and have considerably modified it. 
The map shows by pink patches and bands the positions 
of these colonies, and the extent of the mixture of blood as 
far as our present information goes. 
Missionaries have ever found the Papuan race a difficult one 
to influence and elevate. They are lower and more savage 
than the Sawaiori people. There is less original capacity for 
the appreciation of that which is noble and good than we find 
among the others. There is in them less inherent religious feel- 
c 2 
