The New Hebrides are evidently inhabited by different races of people, whose origin some navigators are inclined to derive from Papua or New Guinea. None possess that symmetry and stature seen in other parts of the Southern Pacific Ocean. Those of the Tierra del Espiritu Santo seem more robust and better formed than most of the rest. Bougainville describes the natives of Lepers Isle as small, ugly, and ill made, and the few women observed were alto gether as disgusting as the men. The inhabitants of Tan na are of middle size, their limbs well made and rather slender ; and some are tall, stout, and strong. Their fea tures are large, the nose broad, eyes full, and in general with an agreeable expression. The hair is black ; but, in several instances, with brown or yellow tips. Brown and reddish hair has appeared here and elsewhere ; but it is frizzled and woolly for the most part. The women of the Mallicolese present the most disagreeable features of any seen in the South Seas ; and the daubing of their whole bodies, or covering their heads with the orange powder of turmeric root, has a dirty appearance. All the inhabitants of the group are of a deep chesnut brown colour, and their skin is uncommonly soft and smooth to the touch. M. de Bougainville says, those of Lepers Isle arc of a black or Mulatto colour, the hair of some being a yellow wool, which, it is not unlikely, might have been the consequence of dis ease, as he gave the island its name from the inhabitants being much afflicted with leprosy.
The language of the New Hebridians is different from that of all the other tribes of the South Sea ; it abounds in consonants, and even in the united duplication or triplica tion of them. But they have a remarkable facility in un derstanding and imitating strangers, and have a very quick and ready apprehension. Their admiration is expressed by hissing like a goose. They are singularly honest, unlike all savages ; and most of them have a manly, good natured, open aspect.
In general these people go nearly naked ; boys and girls absolutely so. The greater part of the women have a short petticoat ; many only a cord about the body, with a bunch of straw. A decided characteristic of the Hebridians con sists in a rope tied round the middle, which, being put on at a very early age, makes a deep groove, dividing the belly as it were into two parts, so that the one almost overhangs the other. Captain Cook, in describing the Mallicolese as " the most ugly and ill-proportioned people I ever saw, and in every respect different from any we had met with in this sea," and specifying " their long heads, flat faces, and monkey countenances," continues," but what most adds to their deformity, is a belt or cord which they wear round the waist, and tie so tight over the belly, that the shape of their bodies is not unlike that of an overgrown pismire." They are less acquainted with the art of tattooing than many other islanders, and they obtain a similar effect by in cisions of the flesh, producing elevated scars, which resem ble external objects. A number of personal ornaments are
employed by them, more generally by the men than the women. The face and body are frequently painted black, brown, or red ; and bracelets, ear-rings, or a bone through the nose, are worn among both sexes. The women and children are in general shy ; the former are held in sub serviency by the men, and condemned to the more labori ous operations.
The disposition of the Hebridians seems to be courteous and liberal ; they are not equally prone to revenge injuries, as many other savages, and are more willing to be satisfied. The English circumnavigators were treated with great hospitality, and it seems doubtful in any misunderstandings which was the aggressor. M. de Bougainville considered an attack on him at the isle of Lepers, followed by a flight of arrows, as the consequence of premeditation. They are evidently often at war, from the number and variety of their arms ; and during the visits of strangers, they are always on the watch, keeping their bows constantly bent. These are very strong and elastic; made of the best club wood, and highly polished. The arrows are made of reeds near ly four feet long, and pointed with a piece of hard brittle black wood, twelve or fifteen inches in length. Some have three points for shooting birds, others are discharged at fish, and pointed with a bit of bone two or three inches long. They have also clubs, spears, and darts ; the first of differ ent sizes and shapes, from two feet and a half in length to six feet, and are slung from the right shoulder by a rope. Their arrows are shot with great force and precision to the distance of 8 or 10 yards, hut are little to be dreaded at 25 or 30. Their darts also are thrown with much power and accuracy to a short distance. Some arrows exhibit a green ish gummy substance on the points, which the natives af firm is poison ; but in experiments made with it by the English on animals it was not fatal.
The arts are in a very low state ; navigation is little un derstood, and fishing seldom resorted to. No fishing tackle whatever was observed by the English in the largest islands ; and their canoes consisted of several pieces of wood clumsily sewed together. Only 14 belonged to the whole island of Mallicolo. However, that of Immer is chiefly inhabited by fishermen, and the various canoes are from 20 to 30 feet long, but all of indifferent workmanship. The dwellings on shore arc miserable huts of rude con struction, or, properly speaking, large sheds about 35 feet long, open at both ends, and of which the roof, ridged at top, reaches to the very ground. Captain Cook compares them to a house without walls. They seem to contain no furni ture except mats, palm leaves, and dry grass, which cover the floor. The quality of the climate is such that the in habitants can almost dispense with artificial shelter, and all their pursuits concentrate in warfare and in procuring sub sistence.