The Native Races of the Indian Archipelago: PapuansAn important work of early New Guinea anthropology, including a whole chapter devoted to the Aborigines of Melville Island, Port Essington (Cobourg Peninsula) and North Australia in general. There are numerous discussions of Australian Aborigines throughout the text, and one of the folding plates gives anthropometric comparisons between North Australian Aborigines and New Guineans. Earl lived at Port Essington for more than ten years, as the settlement grew from a meagre outpost in 1838 up until its abandonment in 1849 and became a widely published expert on the region. The fine full-page lithographs, produced in London, were based on drawings done on the spot by the Dutch artists Van Oort and Van Raalten. |
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Common terms and phrases
aborigines Ajetas Alfoers Amboyna Andamans appearance approach arms arrows Arru Arruans bamboo beach boat Borneo bows brown race brown tribes Bruijn Kops canoes Captain Ceram Ceramese characteristics chief chiefly coast of Australia coast tribes Cobourg Peninsula cocoa-nut colour consisted crew Croker Island custom distance Dory Dourga Strait Dutch ethnographical European Expedition favourable feet fire fish flotilla formed friendly Guinea Gulf of Carpentaria habits hair head Indian Archipelago inhabitants intercourse interior Kedah latter Lieutenant Kolff Luzon Macassar Malay Malayan Mallat Melville Island miles Modera Moluccas narrative Negritos negroes neighbourhood neighbouring north coast nose obtained ornaments Outanatas party peculiarity Peninsula Philippines Pinang Port Essington prahus present probably resemble reside river savages seen Semang settlement ship shore skin slaves south-west coast spears spot strangers Tidore Timor traders trees trepang tribes Triton Valentyn vessels village visited Voyage weapons wild wild hogs women wood
Popular passages
Page 105 - ... recognize the right of property, in the fullest sense of the word, without there being any authority among them than the decisions of their elders, according to the customs of their forefathers, which are held in the highest regard.
Page 2 - ... in their frizzled or woolly hair, which does not spread over the surface of the head, as is usual with the negroes of Africa, but grows in small tufts, each of which keeps separate from the rest, and the hairs, if allowed to grow, twist round each other, and form spiral ringlets. Many of the tribes keep the hair closely cropped. The tufts then assume the form of little knobs, about the size of large peas, which give the head a singular, but not altogether...
Page 32 - ... off. We walked along the skirts of the wood, and at the distance of about two hundred yards from the place where we landed, we came to a grove of cocoa-nut trees, which stood upon the banks of a little brook of brackish water. The trees were of a small growth, but well hung with fruit; and near them was a shed or hut, which had been covered with their leaves, though most of them were now fallen off: About the hut lay a great number of the shells of the fruit, some of which appeared to be just...
Page 154 - Semang prepare themselves with large quantities of combustible materials with which they quietly approach the animal, who is aroused from his reverie by an immense fire over him, which being kept well supplied by the Semangs with fresh fuel, soon completes his destruction and renders him in a fit state to make a meal of.
Page 159 - The Aborigines of Cochin China are called Moys, and are the people which inhabit the chain of mountains which separate it from Cambodia. To these strongholds they were driven when the present possessors invaded the country. They are a savage race of people, very black, and resemble in their features the Caffrees.
Page 147 - When the children are old enough to shift for them' selves, they usually separate, neither one afterwards ' thinking of the other. At night they sleep under some ' large tree, the branches of which hang low ; on these ' they fasten the children in a kind of swing ; around ' the tree they make a fire to keep off the wild beasts ' and snakes. They cover themselves with a piece of ' bark, and in this also they wrap their children ; it is ' soft and warm, but will not keep out the rain.
Page 3 - ... sinister expression. Their complexion is universally a deep chocolate colour, sometimes closely approaching to black, but certainly a few shades lighter than the deep black that is often met with among the Negro tribes of Africa.
Page 101 - Vorkay towards these islets, (the water being only two or three feet deep,) carrying a basket at their backs, and having in their hands a stick provided with an iron point. When the water is deeper than this, they make use of canoes. For fishing on the banks situated at a greater distance, the Arafuras use a prahu, constructed for the purpose, in which they embark their entire family.
Page 162 - It is perhaps a wonder, that islands so extensive, and lying in the track of so many ships, should have been, till of late years, so little known ; that while the countries by which they are almost encircled, | have been increasing in population and wealth, having been from time immemorial in a state of tolerable civilization, these islands should have remained in a state of nature, and their inhabitants plunged in the grossest ignorance and barbarity. The wild appearance of the country, and the...
Page 194 - ... was the colour of the neighbouring cliff; their hair was long and curly, and appeared to be clotted with a whitish paint. During the time of our parley the natives had their spears close at hand, for those who were in the water had them floating near them, and those who were on the beach had them either buried in the sand, or carried them between their toes, in order to deceive us and to appear unarmed ; and in this they succeeded, until one of them was detected, when we were pulling towards...