Seraao Island is near Timor. The natives of this place have been named by Mr. Crawfurd of the Negro-Malayan race. The people are like those of Timor, with frizzly or wavy hair and a coppery brown colour. Semao Island has abundance of monkeys, one of them, the Macacus cynomolgus, or hare-lipped monkey, which is found allover the western islands of the Archipelago.
Rota Island lies off the S.W. end of Timor. It is about GO miles long and 38 miles broad, and is in lat. 10° 53' S., and long. 123° 6' E. It is a succession of low hills and narrow valleys, the soil is stony but fertile. In. the early part of the 19th century it had 18 rajas over as many districts. who could bring 10,000 fighting-men into the field, sometimes opposing, sometimes aiding the Dutch, but always at enmity with the Timor raja. The inhabitants are below the middle height, and are considerably darker than the people of Celebes, but are remarkable for having long lank hair, whilst nearly the whole of the inhabitants of the surrounding islands have frizzled hair. Their features are more prominent, and they bear a stronger resemblance to the natives of India than to those of the eastern islands. The women are much fairer than the men, and many of them have very pleasing countenances. They are a mild-tempered people, and not of jealous dis position ; polygamy and divorce are allowed. Their religion and belief in auguries are nearly the same as in Timor. They inter their dead under their houses, which, as in Celebes, are always raised several feet from the ground, whilst those of Timor are always built on the ground. Their language has many words in use in Timor, but the natives of the two islands do not under stand each other. The slave trade up to the early part of the 19th century was carried to a great length in this island, several hundred slaves having been exported to Batavia, Amboyna, and other Dutch settlements in the course of one year.
Ansus Island is Papuan. The houses, built on posts, are placed entirely in the water. At very low water only is the beach partially uncovered. This beach consists of mud, in which mangroves grow luxuriantly, and completely obstruct a land ing. The gardens, from this cause, are situated on the surrounding islands, principally on an island with a high beach lying opposite to the kampong. The Ansus Papuans' hair is in tufts. Their appearance is good-natured, faces regular, eyes beautifully black, the mouth broad, with beautiful regular teeth, and the forehead high but narrow. Many have thin lips and finely curved noses, which give them a more European physiognomy. The men are generally handsome and well formed, stout, without being too thick, strong and muscular ; the women very good look ing; and some children with very regular soft faces and long pendent curling hair.
Bo Island is inhabited by a mixed race of Papuans and the brown race.
New Guinea is known to the Malays as the Tanna Papua. Its approximate area is 275,000 square miles, and it is, after Australia and Borneo, the largest island of Australasia. It is essentially the Papua land, its people being partly of the diminutive and partly of the stalwart Negro race. The island was discovered in 1525-26 by the Portuguese, and up to the present time its coasts and seas have often been visited by ethno logists, surveyors, and Christian missionaries ; but the sickly nature of the climate, and the repellent character of the Papuans, have prevented investi gation.
Captain Moresby says the coast north of Torres Straits, as far east as Yule Island, appears to be occupied by the black Papuan race, naked and hostile. It is an unbroken level of swampy, maugrove-covered ground, and probably malarious ; its shores have no protecting barrier reef.
He speaks of the fierce and bloody nature of the black Papuans of West New Guinea. But he also mentions that from Red Scar-Head to the extreme east of New Guinea, the coast is peopled by a mild Malayan race of inoffensive manners. Red Scar-Head is 35 miles east of Yule Island ; outside from 4 to 10 miles from the shore is a great barrier reef. Some of their houses are 30 to 40 feet long. They are a small, lithe, copper-coloured people, with clean, well-cut features and a pleasing expression of countenance. They wear their hair frizzled out, mop fashion, and are tattooed with stars and small figures on the breast and shoulders. They wear a leaf girdle ; the young men have cowrie shell ornaments on the legs and arms, and plumes of paradise birds on the head. The cartilage of the nose is pierced, and bits of bamboo or shells inserted. According to the same author, in Robert Hall Sound the people are of the Malay type, shorter, coarser in feature, and thick lipped, almost beardless. They have high cheek bones, like the Malay, but their noses are well formed and inclined to be aquiline. Their eyes are dark and beautiful, with good eyebrows. The men's hair is frizzled into a mop form, but that of the women is cut short, and their bodies are tattooed with graceful patterns. The men do not tattoo. Their race joins the black Papuan in the vicinity of Cape Possession ; but Captain Moresby also says both races were present at Robert Hall Sound, and the natives varied in stature and cast of feature.