'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎220] (329/496)

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way. The poor creatures seemed as much amused as ourselves, for they
laughed and shouted immoderately: they were running to every one, re-
questing they might have the honor of exchanging names and rubbing
noses,—a peculiar mode of proclaiming their friendship.
These islanders are certainly a fine muscular race of people, their ave
rage height being about five feet ten, and many were six feet and above.
They were quite black, with woolly hair,—but had not the features of the
African Negro, more resembling the Somali or Abysinnian race than any I
remember to have seen. Them language was rather gutteral, but not un
pleasantly so, and sounded like Arabic. Some few of the natives, how
ever, had dark copper complexions, and approached nearer to the
Malay: they were shorter in stature than the others ; their hair was
straight, and of a reddish hue : they were evidently of a different
tribe; and I have no doubt were emigrants, either from New Gui
nea or some of the islands to the Northward and Westward. We had
not sufficient opportunity of judging whether they spoke the same
language or not, but concluded that they did. Their numbers, how
ever, were few i the whole population of this island, I should imagine,
does not consist of more than 300 or 400 men, women, and children.
These savages were all in a primitive state of nature, their persons being
destitute even of a fig-leaf, but they seemed to be perfectly unconscious
of their nakedness. Their bodies were anointed with oil*and soot, and
their heads were decorated with tufts of grass and feathers: their hair was
divided into innumerable small locks, each of which was matted together
by fat or grease, and formed into lengths like corkscrew’s, so that then
heads resembled a mop: others, similar to the Somalis, had lime rubbed
over their hair, which gave them the appearance of a powdered wig: and
nearly all had the cartilege of the nose pierced through, in which they
wore, as an ornament, a small piece of polished bone, which our Jacks not
inappropriately called the sprit sail-yard. This was frequently removed,
and a cigar or some other thing substituted. The body and arms of many
were covered with welts cut into curious figures, by means of a shaip
shell. The lower parts of the ears were also perforated, and reached m
narrow strips to their shoulders: this I should imagine must have been
done by suspending weights when young. Their beards were allowed to
grow to great length, and they w r ere thick and bushy—the Malay
before alluded to being the only exception, as they were almost destitute
that natural appendage to man. Although the appearance of these sa\
was daring and ferocious, yet they were not so in reality :
might be done with them by showing a little attention and kindness .