The races of man, and their geographical distribution . pproach than wasanticipated to a celebrated model at home. The Maldive islanders, likewise, are known to makevoyages to and from the East Indies. I am not sure thatI have met with any of these people, and I am even unde-cided as to their physical race, though a range of coral-reefswould seem to present attractions to but one branch of thehuman family. The geographical position, and reportedenterprising character of the inhabitants, seem to indicatethat these islanders may have taken an important part incolonising the surrounding regions;
The races of man, and their geographical distribution . pproach than wasanticipated to a celebrated model at home. The Maldive islanders, likewise, are known to makevoyages to and from the East Indies. I am not sure thatI have met with any of these people, and I am even unde-cided as to their physical race, though a range of coral-reefswould seem to present attractions to but one branch of thehuman family. The geographical position, and reportedenterprising character of the inhabitants, seem to indicatethat these islanders may have taken an important part incolonising the surrounding regions; and I can even con-ceive of the possibility of the whole population of the Malaycountries having been originally derived from such a limited source. e. The Arabian Seas. We come now to the fifth and last remove in the mainroute of marine migrations ; the tract of ocean interposedbetween Hindostan and East Africa, and terminating in twoseparate appended seas. Voyages in this quarter are madeby following the coasts ; and the navigation is chiefly in the. hands of the Arabs. The vessels they employ are ofuniform model, and are called dows. A figure of one ofthem is annexed. MIGRATIONS BY SEA. 301 The Arabs, however, for several centuries, have exceededthese precise limits; as may be inferred, among othercircumstances, from the extension of Islamism to the EastIndies without its undergoing the modifying influence ofHindostan. Of late years, since the Arabs have procuredEuropean ships, and have learned to quit the coasts, thisdirect intercourse has much increased. I have myself seen,at Mocha, vessels arriving from the East Indies; and I metwith the circular-bladed oar of the Persian Gulf, both atSingapore and in the harbour of Manila. Arabia being situated entirely within a Desert region,the timber used by the inhabitants is all imported fromabroad, either from the Malabar coast, or from , leaving the absence of natural inclination for maritimepursuits, it would seem a f
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectethnology, bookyear18
