The Natural History of the Varieties of ManLatham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
Science
The Natural History of the Varieties of Man
Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
Ethnology
ORIGINAL FORM. PRESENT FORM.
2. Rua piti.
4. Ha maha.
5. Rima pae.
6. Ono fene.
_Note 1._--Since the notice of the Fiji Islands was written a youth of
that group--_i.e._ from the island of Lafu--has been brought over to
England by Mr. James Boyd, been presented at the Ethnological Society,
and is now in London. The most remarkable point is a reddish tinge,
clearly perceptible under a cross light, in his otherwise black and
frizzy hair. If I am right in referring this shade to the use of
alkaline washes used in youth for the purposes of whitening the hair,
it shows the unsafeness of talking about _naturally_ red hair for any
of Oceanic islands; since, in the case in question, it was upwards of
five years since any alkaline wash had been applied.
* * * * *
_Note 2._--In _p._ 184. I have overstated the extent to which the
notion that Polynesia Proper was peopled from Kelænonesia rather than
from Micronesia was _general_. Although not found (as far as I know) in
any of the systematic works on the subject of human migration, it is by
no means singular. It is the opinion of Mr. Norriss, and--subject to an
alternative--the recorded opinion of Mr. Jukes, who writes,--
"The Papuan race exclusively possesses the islands on the north-east
of Australia, namely, New Guinea with New Britain and New Ireland, the
Solomon Islands, the islands called Tierra Austral del Espiritu Santo,
and the New Hebrides, and New Caledonia. It extends also to the Feejee
Islands, where it is more or less mingled with the Polynesian race, and
where the language appears to be of Polynesian origin. It is probable
that from New Caledonia proceeded the colony, or whatever it was, that
reached Tasmania, and there mingled with the Australian race. To the
westward of New Guinea scattered tribes, apparently of Papuan race,
are said to occur in the interior of many islands as far west as that
called Endé Flores or Mangeray, and as far north as the Philippine
Islands. It has even been said that the Andaman Islands, in the Bay
of Bengal, are inhabited by a people much resembling the Papuans, and
I have been struck with the similarity of many of their customs to
those which are said to characterize some of the wild hill tribes in
the centre of India. I believe, however, that many of the stories of
tribes of people being found in the various parts of the Archipelago,
must be received with much caution, and that most of the wild people so
described will be found, like the Dyaks of Borneo, or the wild tribes
of the Malacca Peninsula, to be really of Polynesian race. A mingling
of the Papuan race with the Australian, probably takes place at the
present day in the neighbourhood of Torres Strait, but not, perhaps,
to so great an extent as might be expected, for I am inclined to think
that the Australians give way and retreat before the islanders. * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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