42 
THE TWO RACES WHICH PEOPLED POLYNESIA. 
They wore a roller eight fingers broad round about them 
instead of breeches, and going several times round the waist. 
They flatten their heads and foreheads.” 
Amongst the natives of Nangkauri and other neighbouring 
islands the custom prevails of pressing quite flat the heads 
of the newly -born infants, probably in conformity with Nico- 
bar laws of taste and beauty.* 
Speaking of the physical characteristics of the Polynesian, 
Monsieur a de Quarte Pages states, a flat nose is regarded 
as a sign of beauty ; this was the case with the Maories. 
They flattened the nose of the infant almost as soon as born ; 
the nurse took a soft piece of cloth, and gradually pressed 
upon the bridge of the infanPs nose with her finger, which 
was kept upon it for a full hour, until the bridge was broken 
and gave way, a few drops of blood generally flowed from 
the nostrils. The flattened nose was considered a great 
ornament ; may not this custom account for what the ethno- 
logist has regarded as a distinctive feature of race. It 
appears to be a widely extended custom, most probably co- 
extensive with the Polynesian race, and even beyond it, 
being practised in Samoa, in Malicolo, and other isles, as 
well as New Zealand. f The flattened heads of the Oregon 
North American Indians affords a similar proof of change of 
form artificially produced. 
The same custom prevails with the Nicobar Islanders also. 
Dr. Hochstetter states that he took away the skull of an 
Indian from the neighbourhood of Arica, which was remark- 
able for its singular malformation, resulting from compression 
by circular bandages. This artificial disfigurement of the 
skull has its origin in the peculiar customs of several Indian 
races of both North and South America, of mechanically 
altering the form of the cranium in the new-born infant. J 
Many of the Peruvian customs resembled those of the 
) 
* Voyage of Novara, vol. ii. p 32. 
f The custom of flattening the nose so general in New Zealand, attains also 
in Samoa: There a canoe nose is considered a great blemish. — Cruise of the 
Fawn, p. 190. 
X Voyage of the Novara, vol. iii. p. 347. 
