Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
yet made any advance towards civilization. It must be remembered, however, that for cen-
turies the Malays have been influenced by Hindoo, Chinese, and Arabic immigration,
whereas the Papuan race has only been subjected to the very partial and local influence of
Malay traders. The Papuan has much more vital energy, which would certainly greatly assist
his intellectual development. Papuan slaves show no inferiority of intellect compared with
Malays, but rather the contrary; and in the Moluccas they are often promoted to places of
considerable trust. The Papuan has a greater feeling for art than the Malay. He decorates his
canoe, his house, and almost every domestic utensil with elaborate carving, a habit which is
rarely found among tribes of the Malay race.
In the affections and moral sentiments, on the other hand, the Papuans seem very defi-
cient. In the treatment of their children they are often violent and cruel; whereas the Malays
are almost invariably kind and gentle, hardly ever interfering at all with their children's pur-
suits and amusements, and giving them perfect liberty at whatever age they wish to claim it.
But these very peaceful relations between parents and children are no doubt, in a great
measure, due to the listless and apathetic character of the race, which never leads the young-
er members into serious opposition to the elders; while the harsher discipline of the Papuans
may be chiefly due to that greater vigour and energy of mind which always, sooner or later,
leads to the rebellion of the weaker against the stronger,—the people against their rulers, the
slave against his master, or the child against its parent.
It appears, therefore, that, whether we consider their physical conformation, their moral
characteristics, or their intellectual capacities, the Malay and Papuan races offer remarkable
differences and striking contrasts. The Malay is of short stature, brown-skinned, straight-
haired, beardless, and smooth-bodied. The Papuan is taller, is black-skinned, frizzly-haired,
bearded, and hairy-bodied. The former is broad-faced, has a small nose, and flat eyebrows;
the latter is long-faced, has a large and prominent nose, and projecting eyebrows. The Malay
is bashful, cold, undemonstrative, and quiet; the Papuan is bold, impetuous, excitable, and
noisy. The former is grave and seldom laughs; the latter is joyous and laughter-loving,—the
one conceals his emotions, the other displays them.
Having thus described in some detail, the great physical, intellectual, and moral differen-
ces between the Malays and Papuans, we have to consider the inhabitants of the numerous
islands which do not agree very closely with either of these races. The islands of Obi, Bat-
chian, and the three southern peninsulas of Gilolo, possess no true indigenous population;
but the northern peninsula is inhabited by a native race, the so-called Alfuros of Sahoe and
Galela. These people are quite distinct from the Malays, and almost equally so from the
Papuans. They are tall and well-made, with Papuan features, and curly hair; they are
