V. OCEANIC vast Oceanic area, extending in longitude from Madagascar on the one side, to Easter Island (half way be tween Asia and America) on the other; and in latitude from Formosa to New Zealand, includ ing the numerous islands of the Indian and Polynesian archipelagoes, and the great island continent of Australia, is peopled by tribes the greater part of which are undoubtedly related to each other very intimately, and have no near affinities with those of any other region. The only part of the mainland of Asia which is in habited by an Oceanic tribe, is the Peninsula of Malacca ; and there is far more reason to think that this tribe has migrated to that locality from the neighbouring part of Oceania, than that it represents the original stock and line of migration of the Oceanic races. In the physical characters of the Oceanic tribes, two typical varieties present themselves ; and these may he designated as the and the Yegrito.
The present a nearer approach to the Mongolian type than to any other ; but they must be compared rather with the modified Mongols of the south-east por tion of the Asiatic continent, than with the proper Turanian stock. Their complexion is yellow, olive, brunette, or brown, rarely or never darkening into black ; their hair, often long, is usually black and straight ; the face is usually somewhat flat, the cheek-bones high, and the antero-posterior diameter of the skull short ; but there is often a tendency to the prognathous character, such as is shown among the inferior Hindoos. This division of the Oceanic races occupies the greater part of the Indian Archipelago, and the whole of the Polynesian ; but it does not exist in New Guinea, Australia, Tasmania, New Ireland, or the islands between it and New Caledonia, which are peopled exclusively by Negritos. That the tribes thus widely dispersed are all descendants of one and the same stock, and belong to the same race, seems distinctly proved by the affinities of their languages ; which, although presenting considerable modi fications (as might be naturally expected from a prolonged isolation, and from the entire ab sence of a literature), yet accord, as has been proved by William Humboldt, in many of their primary words, and in their general plan of construction. This mutual relationship is the closest among the Malayan dialects of the Indian Archipelago on the one hand, and among the tongues spoken by the various Poly nesian islanders on the other ; but these two groups are also undoubtedly related to one another, in such a manner as to constitute but one family of languages.—The proper Malays are, for the most part, a people of short and slender stature, and small limbs, but well formed and vigorous ; they have flat faces, somewhat oblique eyes, and features resem bling the Chinese ; the hue of their com plexion, however, is considerably deeper, but is not so dark as that of the Hindoos, yellow being still a large ingredient. These cha racters, however, are far from being uniformly exhibited by the whole Malayan branch ; and in particular it is to be remarked that a ten dency to the prognathous type occasionally shows itself, as in the skull of a Bugis of Celebes, described by Blumenbach.—Between
the Malayan and the proper Polynesian area is a small group, including the Pelew, Caroline, and Marianne islands, the inhabitants of which are even more conformable to the Mongolian type than are either the true Malays or the proper Polynesians ; these are termed by Dr. Prichard, Micronesians. A consideration of the probable lines of that migration which must be admitted to have taken place, unless every island is supposed to have had its own independent stock, has led Dr. Latham to the conclusion that the Micronesian group was peopled before the Polynesian area.— The proper Polynesian branch presents such a wide . diversity in physical characters, that if it were not for the unquestionable community of lan guage, usages, &c., it might be thought to con sist of several races, as distinct from each other as they are from the Malayan branch. Thus the Tahitians and Marquesans are tall and well made ; their figures combine grace and vigour ; the skulls are usually as symmetrical as those of most Europeans ; and their physiog nomy presents much of the European cast, there being only a slight flattening of the nose, expansion of the nostrils, and thick ening of the lips, to indicate a degradation, which is rather in the Negro than in the Mongolian direction (fig. 850.). The corn white ; the fairer races are generally taller and more vigorous, whilst the darker are inferior in stature and figure. Many of these varieties present themselves in a single community, plexion, especially in the females of the higher classes, who are sheltered from the wind and sun, is of a clear olive, or brunette, such as is common among the natives of Southern Eu rope; and the hair, though generally black, is sometimes brown or auburn, or even red or flaxen. Among other tribes, as the Sandwich Islanders, the New Zealanders, and the Tonga and Friendly islanders, there are greater di versities of hue and conformation (fig. 851.); some being of a copper-brown colour ; others, nearly black; others, olive ; and others, almost such as that of New Zealand, and are so strongly marked as to have led to the idea that the difference is due to an intermixture of races ; but the unity of language, and the ab sence of any other indication, prevent such a supposition from possessing the least claim to reception. It is a most remarkable fact that the Madecassians, or natives of Madagascar, speak a language which is obviously derived from the Malayan stock, being most nearly allied to that of the Philippine Islands ; and some of the multiform population of that island bear a striking resemblance to Malays, whilst others seem more allied (as might be expected) to the African nations of the main land. At present, the character and origin of the Madecassian population is one of the doubtful questions of ethnology.