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 assign
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 assign 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, thoug