space intervening between the most southern of the Solomon’s
Islands and the most northern of the New Hebrides.
The largest and most northerly of the latter chain was
discovered by Quiros and Torres in 1605 or 1606, and was
named by them Australia del Espiritu Santo. This island
was described by them as a perfect paradise.^“ The banks
of the rivers,” they say, “ were covered with odoriferous
flowers and plants, particularly orange-flowers and sweet
basil, the. perfumes of which were wafted to the ships by the
morning and evening breezes; and at the early dawn was
heard from the neighbouring woods the mixed melody of
many different kinds of birds, some in appearance like
nightingales, blackbirds, larks, and;, goldfinches. All ;the
parts of the country, in front of the sea, were beautifully
varied with fertile valleys, plains, winding rivers, and groves,
which extended to the sides of green mountains.*
The natives of Australia del Espiritu Santo are not minutely
described by the Spaniards. Torres says that ‘- they were all
black and naked.” A boy, carried away by Quiros, is described
as of a dark colour, and with curled, that is probably,
woolly hair, with , good eyes and a good shape. It hence
appears that these people resembled the Papuas,
Bougainville was the next European who saw Australia del
Espiritu Santo. He describes the natives of the adjacent
isle of Lepers:—“ they are,” says he, ■ of two colours,
blacks and mulattoes p” > but he adds in general terms, “ that
their lips are thick, their hair woolly, and sometimes of a
yellowish colour. They are short, ugly, and ill-proportioned.”
Captain Cook sailed round Australia; he saw many of the
natives of this isle, whom he describes as being stouter and
better shaped men than the inhabitants of Mallicollo. Some
of them had black, short, frizzled hair, like the people of
Mallicollo; others had it long, tied up on the crown of the
head, arid ornamented with feathers like the New Zealanders.
The latter understood the language of the Friendly islanders,
and appear evidently to be new, occupants of Australia; they
* Burney, ii, 300.
may have found their way thither either from the Friendly
Islands, which ris most probably 'Ar from some of the other
groupes in this part of the Paêifie Ocean, which are well
known to be inhabited by tribes akin to the Friendly Islanders.
We havé thus far tragedian hlriiost uninterrupted continuation
between groupes <#fiiilalrids’ extending* to the south-east**
ward, from the viciriity of NeW Cuinearind 'New Ireland to the
northern "part1 of'the Archipelagd^of the New Hebrides. -The
native people thï^Égfr the whole distance appear to have some
knowledge of the islands succeeding io their own in the serieS.
The manners and cristoms of thése s&vages resemble, % and
there is a general resemblance in their forms and complexion.
Itfisiin è e probable that the populatiöri^of fheèir chains of
isles originated from the central lund of New Guinea.
We may observe, that in various parts o f these chains
of islands,' which are principally1 póèsessöd by Papan tribes;
strangers from the ■ northward or eastward, from the Indian
isles-, or the groupes of th^Pacific,' have Come- in upon them»
People, spewing’the language^ the Tonga#sleSl were found
by Cook among the natives of Australia,' and in tbé^ëouthern
isles of fbe same group© we have further proofs of this fact.
The two races are, however, distinguishable. ‘
The- chain of the New Hebrides, which commences with
the last-mentioned isle, the largest of the series, is continued
towards the south-west. It may be divided into two groupes :
1, the easternmost, comprehending Mallicollo, Sandwich Isle,
Apu, and several smaller ones, which form a continued
cluster. These are separated by a considerable interval
from the southern or western groupe, comprehending Erro-
manga, Tanna, Annatom, and Erronan. - The people inhabiting
these groupes are apparently different nations, and
have no knowledge of each other ; at least so it appeared to
Captain Cook. They are both remarkable -races. U $
Mallicollo appears to be a very fertile island, luxuriantly
clothed with wood and other productions of nature, from the
sea-shores in some parts to the very summitsof the hills. It
appeared to Cook well inhabited, for he saw smoke by day
and fires by night in all parts of it.
The people of Mallicollo, who appear to be of the same