1
C H . I I I . ] Mixed Races. 45
only not of Malay origin, but probably related to the
Papuans. Here and there I came across individuals
whom I could not consider otherwise than as retrogrades
to the main aboriginal type. In most of these cases the
hair, though not absolutely identical with that of the
pure Papuan type, resembled in texture and in growth
that of the Papua-Malay (mixed race) of the west coast of
New Guinea, who are by no means inconsiderable in
number. In these individual cases the hair was quite
different from the curled hair of the other orang-utans.
“ My chief reasons for my decision on this point, are
deduced from the existence of these retrograde instances
from the present to the aboriginal type : the fact that
the orang-utans are not easily distinguishable from the
Malays inhabiting the interior of Jahore, does not
/Hminish this decision, because these Malays gradually
by intermarriages have partly inherited the orang-utan
type. This intermarriage has been in practice for centuries,
and is likely to have been occasioned by the flight
into the interior of those of the Coast-Malays, who preferred
retirement in the jungle to embracing the doctrines
of Islam at the time of the Mahomedan conquest
in these parts. To such causes are mainly attributable
the variations in the type, and the diversity in the skull
formations which I met with in my journey. In size the
“ orang-utan” are strikingly diminutive. The men rarely
exceed four feet eight inches in height, whilst I came
across many instances of women, mothers of several
children, whose stature was about four feet two inches.
Some allowance in these cases must be made consequent
on the early marriages, and the defective nourishment at
all times.
“ Some of the I orang-utan ’ whilst preserving their
traditional habits and mode of existence, continue to