facial angle is frequently as perpendicular as in the European
structure, excepting where the frontal and occipital bones-of the
skulls weré prfessed: together in infancy. This -was frequently
done by the mothers, with the male children, when they were
designed for warriors. The forehead is sometimes low, but
frequently high and finely formed; the eyebrows are dark and
well defined, occasionally arched, but more generally straight;
the eyes seldom large, but bright and full, and of a jet black
colour; the cheek-bones by no means high; the nose either
rectilinear or aquiline, often accompanied with a fulness about
the nostrils; it is seldom flat, notwithstanding it was formerly
the practice of the-mothers and nurses to press the nostarik of
the female children, a flat and broad nose being by many
regarded as more ornamental than otherwise. The mouth in
general is well formed, though the lips are sometimes large,
yet never SG<mueh so; as to resemble^ those of the Africa».
The teeth are always entire, excepting in extreme old age,
and, though rather large in some, are remarkably white, And
seldom either discolored or decayed. The ears are large# and
the chin retreating or projecting, most generally inclining to
the latter. The form of the face is either round or .©valland
but very seldom exhibits any resemblance to the angular form
of the Tartar visage, while their profile frequently bears a most
striking resemblance to that of the European countenance.
Their hair is of a shining black or dark brown colour; straight,
but not lank and wiry like that of the American' Indian, nor,
excepting in a few solitary instances, woolly like the New
Guinea dr New Holland Negroes. Frequently it is soft and
curly, though seldom so fine as that of the civilised natives
inhabiting the temperate zones.”
P There is a considerable difference between the stature of
the male and female sex here, as well as in other parts of the
world, yet net so great as that which often prevails in Europe.
The females, though generally more delicate in form and
smaller in size than the men, are, taken - altogether, stronger
and larger than the females of England, and are sometimes
remarkably tall5 and stout. A roundness and fulness of figure,
without extending to corpulency, distinguishes the people in
general,* particularly the females.” «
M The -prevailing colour of the natives is an olive# a bronze#
or aTeddish brown,—equally removedçtfeôm the jet-black of
tbeAftican and the Asiatic# thés yeltew- of the Malay, and the
red or copper/colour of the aboriginal American, frequently
presenting a kind of medium between the two-latter colours.
Considerable variety# nevertheless, prevails in the* complexion
of the population of the same island# and as great a diversity
among the inhabitants of different islands* The natives of the
Paliiser or Pearb Islands, a shoi’fc distance to; the eastward
of? Tahiti, are darker than the? inhabitants of «the; Georgian
grouped It is not# however, a blacker hue? that, their skin
presents# but a darker: red or hrown.f r The natives, of Manias,
or <Mangeea# one of the Hatvey cluster# aftd some ofi the inhabitants
of : Rurutee, aaid:«th©neighbourhoodrdontfe fputll pf
Tahiti#,: designated by Malte-Brun, * tho Austral Islands,
and the majority of the reigning family o£ Eaiatë% are net
darker than the
« At.tbe time of their birth the Tahitian
infants is but little# if any, darker than that- of. Eufopean
children, and the skin only assumes the bronze or brown him
as they grow up under repeated: ér sesnsiant c lo su re to the
sum Those parts of the body that areumost covered#,, even
with their loose draperies of native} .«loth# ere#,through every
period of life, of, much lighter colour than those flmfcate
exposed # and# notwithstanding the I dark tint with which the
climate appears to dye their skin# tb»; ruddy bloom ,o£ health
and vigóür# Or the sudden blush# ?isti often^ seipi , ipantk^-fhe
youthful countenance under the light brown tingd# which# like
a thin veil, but partially conceals its,? igiOwingh-ue. The
females who are much employed in beating cloth, making
mats, or other occupations followed under sbeller# are usually
fairer than the rest ; while the fishermen, who are most
exposed to the sun, are invariably the darkest portion of the
population.’’ É
| The mental capacity of the .Society ? Islanders has been
hitherto much more partially developed « than their physical
character/ They are remarkably curious and inquisitive# anp,
f compared with* other Polynesian nations# ; may ? b»:, said to
possess considerable ingenuily# together with mechanical