The Mafulu Part 18

Conclusion

What is the origin of these Mafulu people, with their short stature, small and somewhat rounded heads, slight but active build, sooty brown skin, and frizzly hair, predominantly brown in colour, and with their comparatively primitive ideas of organisation, and simple arts and crafts?

The question is one of no mere local interest, as the answer to it will probably be the answer to a similar question concerning most, and perhaps all, of the other Papuan-speaking people of the mountainous interior of the Central District of British New Guinea, and may even be a key to the past early history of the entire island.

It has, I think, been hitherto believed that all these mountain people had a mixed Papuan and Melanesian ancestry; but it was impossible to be among them, as I was, for some time without being impressed by the difference in appearance between them and the people of the adjacent coast and plains, and suspecting that, though they had Papuan and Melanesian blood in their veins, there was also some third element there. And the name which obtruded itself upon my mind, whilst in Mafulu, was Negrito.

The dark skin and the comparatively rounded heads, and, I think, some shortness of stature are found elsewhere in British New Guinea; though shortness of stature and rounded heads are unusual, and, I believe, only local, and I do not know whether even the Papuan skin is ever quite so dark as that of the Mafulu people. But the almost universal shortness of stature, the comparatively slight, but strong and active, build and the brown colour of the hair seemed entirely different from anything that I had ever seen or read of as regards either the Papuans or the Melanesians; and all of these, coupled with the tendency to roundness of head, were consistent with a partial negrito ancestry.

Then on my return to England I learnt that dwarf people had been found by the recent expedition into Dutch New Guinea organised by the British Ornithologists' Union. Dr. Haddon has expressed the opinion that these dwarf people and some dwarf people previously found by Dr. Rudolph Poch in German New Guinea are all negritoes, or negritoes crossed with Papuans. [128]

Dr. Keith, to whom I submitted all my notes upon the measurements and physique of the Mafulu people, and who measured and examined the three skulls which I brought home, wrote to me as follows:--

"I have examined the observations you have made on the Mafulu. From your paper one can form, for the first time, a picture of the physical characters of this tribe; but, when I proceed to a.s.sign the tribe to its proper race, I am at once met by difficulties. In my opinion the short stature, the pigmented skin, and the small heads inclined to brachycephaly indicate a strong negrito element, which we know is widely distributed in the far east, and certainly, as we should expect, occurs in certain districts of New Guinea. In the three crania there were characters which one could a.s.sign to Papuan, as well as to a Melanesian stock.... A brown or reddish tinge is seen not infrequently in the hair of negritoes. You will see that I am inclined to look on the Mafulu as showing a very considerable degree of negrito blood, and to regard the more primitive tribes of New Guinea as being of this nature. If that were so, the Mafulu might be regarded as belonging to the older population of New Guinea, both Papuan and Melanesian having added something to their civilisation, as well as their physical characters."

Dr. Keith then is inclined to agree with my suggestion concerning the origin of the Mafulu; and Dr. Haddon, having seen my notes upon physique, said that he endorsed the views expressed by Dr. Keith. And if the view suggested be correct as regards the Mafulu or Fuyuge people, I am prepared to say that from what I have heard of the other mountain Papuan-speaking people of that part of New Guinea, including the Oru Lopiku (Kovio), Boboi and Ambo people, I am convinced that it must be correct as regards them also, though the relative predominance of the three strains may well vary with these different people.

I am hardly qualified to enter into the discussion as to the relations.h.i.+p, if any, existing between the princ.i.p.al hitherto known dwarf races, the Pygmies of Central Africa, the Semang of the Malay Peninsula, the Andamanese and the Aetas of the Philippine Islands, or to deal with the question whether or not all or some of them are to be grouped together as forming a distinct and related type, or are to be regarded as unconnected in the sense that each of them is merely a local variation, sharing a common ancestry with some other taller negroid race.

As, however, my suggestion of a partial negrito origin of the Mafulu people necessarily brings me into contact with this wider question, and the latter is still one upon which opinions differ, I may perhaps briefly tabulate some of the chief physical characters of the Andamanese, the Semang, the Aetas, the dwarf people recently found in Dutch New Guinea and the Mafulu. I think I may omit the African pygmies from my tables.

_Stature._

Andamanese 4' 10 1/2''

This is the figure given by Mr. Portman (_Journal of Anthropological Inst.i.tute_, vol. 25, p. 366) and by Dr. Haddon (_Races of Man and their Distribution_, p. 9), and is very near the 4'10 3/4'' given by Mr. Man (_The Andaman Islanders_, p. 5), and adopted by Messrs. Skeat and Blagden (_Pagan Races of the Malay Peninsula_, p. 573).

Semang 4' 10 3/4''

Skeat and Blagden (_Pagan Races_, &c., p. 573) and Haddon (Races of Man, &c., p. 9).

Aetas 4' 10''

This is Dr. Haddon's figure (_Races of Man, &c._, p. 9), and it is within half an inch of the 4' l0 1/2'' given by Dr. Semper (_Journal of Anthropology_ for October, 1870, p. 135). Dr. Meyer gives a number of varying measurements (see _Journal of Anthropological Inst.i.tute,_ vol. 25, p. 174), and Reed gives the average of 48 males, some of whom were not pure types, only 4' 9"

(_Negritos of Zambales_, p. 32).

Dutch New Guinea dwarfs 4' 9''

Captain Rawling (_Geographical Journal_, vol. 38, p. 245).

Mafulu 5' 1''

It is merely suggested by me that they are _partly_ negrito, which, if correct, would explain the somewhat higher stature.

_General Physique._

Andamanese

Well proportioned, and with good muscular development (Man, _Journal of Anthropological Inst.i.tute_, vol. 12, pp. 72 and 73).

Semang

St.u.r.dily built (Haddon, _Races of Man, &c._, p. 9).

Aetas

Well formed and sprightly (Earle, _Papuans_, p. 123), and with limbs which, corresponding to their stature, are uncommonly slender, but well formed (Semper, _Journal of Anthropology_ for October, 1870, p. 135). Well-built little men with broad chests, symmetrical limbs, and well-developed muscles (Reed, _Negritos of Zambales,_ p. 34).

Dutch New Guinea dwarfs

Of st.u.r.dy build (Rawling, _Geographical Journal_, vol. 38, p. 241).

Mafulu

Fairly strong and muscular, but rather slender and slight in development.

_Cephalic Index._

Andamanese 82

This is Dr. Haddon's figure (_Races of Man, &c._, p. 9). Messrs. Skeat and Blagden say they are decidedly brachycephalic (_Pagan Races, &c._, p. 573).

Semang 78.9

Dr. Haddon's figure (_Races of Man, &c._, p. 9). Skeat and Blagden describe them as brachycephalic to mesatecephalic (_Pagan Races, &c._, p. 34).

Aetas 80

Dr. Haddon's figure (_Races of Man, &c._, p. 9). Skeat and Blagden describe them as decidedly brachycephalic (_Pagan Races, &c._, p. 573). Reed gives 82 as the average (_Negritos of Zambales_, p. 34).

Dutch New Guinea dwarfs 80.2

This figure is calculated by me from the actual length and breadth given by Captain Rawling (_Geographical Journal_, vol. 38, p. 245).

Mafulu 80

_Nasal Index._

Andamanese ?