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There remain to be noticed the black woolly…haired races of the Philippines and the Malay peninsula; the former called 〃Negritos;〃 and the latter 〃Semangs。〃 I have never seen these people myself; but from the numerous accurate descriptions of them that have been published; I have had no difficulty in satisfying myself that they have little affinity or resemblance to the Papuans; with which they have been hitherto associated。 In most important characters they differ more from the Papuan than they do from the Malay。 They are dwarfs in stature; only averaging four feet six inches to four feet eight inches high; or eight inches less than the Malays; whereas the Papuans are decidedly taller than the …Malays。 The nose is invariably represented as small; flattened; or turned up at the apex; whereas the most universal character of the Papuan race is to have the nose prominent and large; with the apex produced downwards; as it is invariably represented in their own rude idols。 The hair of these dwarfish races agrees with that of the Papuans; but so it does with that of the negroes of Africa。 The Negritos and the Semangs agree very closely in physical characteristics with each other and with the Andaman Islanders; while they differ in a marked manner from every Papuan race。
A careful study of these varied races; comparing them with those of Eastern Asia; the Pacific Islands; and Australia; has led me to adopt a comparatively simple view as to their origin and affinities。
If we draw a line (see Physical Map; Vol。 1。 p。 14); commencing to the east of the Philippine Islands; thence along the western coast of Gilolo; through the island of Bouru; and curving round the west end of Mores; then bending back by Sandalwood Island to take in Rotti; we shall divide the Archipelago into two portions; the races of which have strongly marked distinctive peculiarities。 This line will separate the Malayan and all the Asiatic races; from the Papuans and all that inhabit the Pacific; and though along the line of junction intermigration and commixture have taken place; yet the division is on the whole almost as well defined and strongly contrasted; as is the corresponding zoological division of the Archipelago; into an Indo…Malayan and Austro…Malayan region。
I must briefly explain the reasons that have led me to consider this division of the Oceanic races to be a true and natural one。 The Malayan race; as a whole; undoubtedly very closely resembles the East Asian populations; from Siam to Mandchouria。 I was much struck with this; when in the island of Bali I saw Chinese traders who had adopted the costume of that country; and who could then hardly be distinguished from Malays; and; on the other hand; I have seen natives of Java who; as far as physiognomy was concerned; would pass very well for Chinese。 Then; again; we have the most typical of the Malayan tribes inhabiting a portion of the Asiatic continent itself; together with those great islands which; possessing the same species of large Mammalia with the adjacent parts of the continent; have in all probability formed a connected portion of Asia during the human period。 The Negritos are; no doubt; quite a distinct race from the Malay; but yet; as some of them inhabit a portion of the continent; and others the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal; they must be considered to have had; in all probability; an Asiatic rather than a Polynesian origin。
Now; turning to the eastern parts of the Archipelago; I find; by comparing my own observations with those of the most trustworthy travellers and missionaries; that a race identical in all its chief features with the Papuan; is found in all the islands as far east as the Fijis; beyond this the brown Polynesian race; or some intermediate type; is spread everywhere over the Pacific。 The descriptions of these latter often agree exactly with the characters of the brown indigenes of Gilolo and Ceram。
It is to be especially remarked that the brown and the black Polynesian races closely resemble each other。 Their features are almost identical; so that portraits of a New Zealander or Otaheitan will often serve accurately to represent a Papuan or Timorese; the darker colour and more frizzly hair of the latter being the only differences。 They are both tall races。 They agree in their love of art and the style of their decorations。 They are energetic; demonstrative; joyous; and laughter…loving; and in all these particulars they differ widely from the Malay。
I believe; therefore; that the numerous intermediate forms that occur among the countless islands of the Pacific; are not merely the result of a mixture of these races; but are; to some extent; truly intermediate or transitional; and that the brown and the black; the Papuan; the natives of Gilolo and Ceram; the Fijian; the inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands and those of New Zealand; are all varying forms of one great Oceanic or Polynesian race。
It is; however; quite possible; and perhaps probable; that the brown Polynesians were originally the produce of a mixture of Malays; or some lighter coloured Mongol race with the dark Papuans; but if so; the intermingling took place at such a remote epoch; and has been so assisted by the continued influence of physical conditions and of natural selection; leading to the preservation of a special type suited to those conditions; that it has become a fixed and stable race with no signs of mongrelism; and showing such a decided preponderance of Papuan character; that it can best be classified as a modification of the Papuan type。 The occurrence of a decided Malay element in the Polynesian languages; has evidently nothing to do with any such ancient physical connexion。 It is altogether a recent phenomenon; originating in the roaming habits of the chief Malay tribes; and this is proved by the fact that we find actual modern words of the Malay and Javanese languages in use in Polynesia; so little disguised by peculiarities of pronunciation as to be easily recognisablenot mere Malay roots only to be detected by the elaborate researches of the philologist; as would certainly have been the case had their introduction been as remote as the origin of a very distinct racea race as different from the Malay in mental and moral; as it is in physical characters。
As bearing upon this question it is important to point out the harmony which exists; between the line of separation of the human races of the Archipelago and that of the animal productions of the same country; which I have already so fully explained and illustrated。 The dividing lines do not; it is true; exactly agree; but I think it is a remarkable fact; and something more than a mere coincidence; that they should traverse the same district and approach each other so closely as they do。 If; however; I am right in my supposition that the region where the dividing line of the Indo…Malayan and Austro…Malayan regions of zoology can now be drawn; was formerly occupied by a much wider sea than at present; and if man existed on the earth at that period; we shall see good reason why the races inhabiting the Asiatic and Pacific areas should now meet and partially intermingle in the vicinity of that dividing line。
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