Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.: With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During; The Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43.; By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative; Of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea.Stokes, John Lort
History
Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.: With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During; The Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43.; By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative; Of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea.
Stokes, John Lort
Australia -- Description and travel; Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Natural history -- Australia
While the party were on shore, they were visited by six of the natives, a
larger race of men than those on the south coast, naked, with the
exception of a grass mat round the waist, and the hair straight and tied
up behind, seemingly ignorant of the use of the throwing stick, but
carrying spears ill-shapen and unbarbed. One of them had a kiley, or
boomerang, and each carried a rude hatchet of stone. None of them had
suffered the loss of the front tooth, which, with some tribes, is a
distinction of manhood. When asked by signs for fresh water, of which our
party saw no traces, they pointed to the South-East; a circumstance which
I record, as it may possibly be of some service to future explorers. As
the boat was leaving, one of them, supposing, I presume, that they were
out of our reach, and might therefore attack us with impunity, threw a
stone at the boat, which luckily did no harm, though hurled with great
dexterity and force. Upon this, a pistol was discharged over their heads,
when they retired with far greater rapidity than they had advanced.
AN ALMOST WHITE RACE.
Mr. Usborne mentions, in an account of this interview (published in the
Nautical Magazine for 1840, page 576) that one of the party differed in
several physical characteristics from the rest. After describing them in
general terms as being from five feet six, to five feet nine inches tall,
broad shoulders, long and slight legs, large heads, and overhanging
brows--he continues, "There was an exception in the youngest, who
appeared of an entirely different race: his skin was a copper colour,
while the others were black; his head was not so large, and more rounded;
the overhanging brow was lost; the shoulders more of a European turn; and
the body and legs much better proportioned; in fact, he might be
considered a well-made man, at our standard of figure." A similar
instance of meeting with one of a tribe, not apparently belonging to the
same subdivision of the human family as those by whom he was surrounded,
is recorded by Captain Grey, who speaks indeed of the existence of a
distinct race, totally different (i.e. from the other aborigines) and
almost white. I cannot say that I have myself encountered any of these
almost white men, whose existence, as a distinct race, Captain Grey
appears to have rather hastily admitted; such variation in form and
colour as Mr. Usborne alludes to, may, however, be accounted for by the
intercourse which the natives on the north coast hold from time to time
with the Malays.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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