FIG. 146.—Natives of Livuliri (near Larantuka, Floris).
Indonesian race with intermixture in varying degrees of Papuan blood.
Height from 1 m. 55 to 1 m. 64; ceph. ind., 76.6 to 86.9.
(Phot. and particulars, Lapicque.)
Gesture language is fairly developed, especially as an ideographic mode of communication between tribe and tribe. Very often a gesture completes the phrase, even in a colloquy between two members of the same tribe; certain of these gestures recall those of European children, such as lightly rubbing the stomach to signify “I have had enough” (W. Roth).
FIG. 147.—Buri, a Solorian of Adanara Island (close to Floris);
Mussulman. Height, 1 m. 64; ceph. ind., 85.1.
(Phot. and particulars, Lapicque.)
The Australians are typical hunters (for their weapons, see pp. [259] and [267], and Figs. [75] and [78]). They know nothing of cattle-raising; their only domestic animal, the dingo, is half wild. Fruit gathering and the digging up of roots of wild plants are the principal occupations of the women. Intoxicating drinks, apart from the regions penetrated by colonists, are unknown; the custom of chewing “pituri” leaves (Duboisia) as a narcotic is fairly widespread.
Most of the tribes live under such shelters as nature affords, or in huts made of leafy branches, hemispherical or semi-ovoid in shape, and very low (p. [161]); even these they do not take the trouble to put up if they have other means of protecting themselves from cold, such as the woollen blankets distributed by the Colonial Governments.
