408 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
tribes, and hence we find that languages or dialects are 
equally innumerable, and add still further to the obstacles 
that missionaries and officials encounter in their endea¬ 
vours to introduce Christianity and civilisation. 
The preceding general account is intended to apply 
to the typical Papuan. A considerable margin must, 
however, be allowed for individual and local peculiarities. 
The tint of the skin, the stature, the habits, and even 
the character, vary considerably, but the best observers 
agree in considering that such variations imply no dif¬ 
ference of race. The people of New Guinea, like all 
others, have undoubtedly intermingled with many sur¬ 
rounding peoples. Malays have settled on their western 
and northern coasts, Australians have probably mixed 
with those living on the shores of Torres Strait, while 
the brown Polynesians have undoubtedly occupied some 
portion of the south-eastern promontory. But in every 
part of New Guinea one physical character remains 
nearly constant—the frizzled hair—and this alone would 
suffice to refute the opinion of those who have hastily 
declared the people of the south-eastern extremity to be 
undoubtedly Malays. 
8. Mission Work in New Guinea. 
In Dutch territory Dutch and German missionaries 
have been at work in Dorei since 1856, and of late two 
or three additional stations have been established, all of 
which are in Geelvink Bay. Twenty-eight years from 
this date the entire result of the work and the sacrifice 
of many lives was only 16 adult and 26 child converts, 
so that the mission has not fulfilled the expectations 
formed of it. The Papuan is bold, self-reliant, and almost 
entirely devoid of the feelings of reverence and respect, 
