Total sample 1 .01 5 .6 30 4 400 48 377 46 0 0 813
Interior 0 0 0 0 1 1 55 36 97 63 0 0 153
East 0 0 3 2 12 10 99 83 6 6 0 0 120
Coast 0 0 1 0 7 3 85 41 116 56 0 0 209
N.W. 0 0 0 0 1 1 42 53 36 46 0 0 79
Fiji II 0 0 0 0 0 0 128 96 5 4 0 0 133
Solomons 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 79 93 2 3 85
Tonga (Range from Lt. Brown to Dk. Brown.)
Color of skin includes exposed and unexposed areas. The former was
observed on the face, since the Fijians do not use any kind of face or
head covering. This condition in the total series divides itself quite
evenly between medium brown and dark brown. A few have light-brown skin;
only six individuals are classified as swarthy and brunet. None was
judged to be completely black. The Fijians of Howells' series are
described as 96 per cent medium brown[15] and 5 per cent dark brown, a
discrepancy I would attribute to personal judgment difference. The
Solomon Islanders are markedly darker than the Fijians, the majority
have dark-brown skin and 3 per cent are black, whereas 5 per cent have
medium-brown complexions.
Tongan data on skin color cannot be directly adjusted to my statistics.
Sullivan's comment on their skin color states that it is "a medium
yellowish-brown where it is unexposed to the sun. Exposed parts of the
skin of a few of the persons were a very dark chocolate" (Sullivan,
1922, p. 248).
Among the Fijians themselves, the greatest contrasts occur between the
eastern and the interior groups of Viti Levu. Where 63 per cent of the
latter have dark-brown skin, only 5 per cent of eastern fall into this
category. The bulk of eastern (83 per cent) have medium-brown skin as
against 36 per cent of hill people. The coastal and northwestern
provinces are, like the total series, more evenly divided between medium
and dark brown.
_Skin Color: Unexposed_
Brunet Swarthy Lt. Brn Med. Brn Dk. Brn Black Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 6 1 9 1 242 30 545 66 11 1 0 0 813
Interior 0 0 0 0 20 13 133 87 0 0 0 0 153
East 3 3 4 3 77 64 36 30 0 0 0 0 120
Coast 1 1 2 1 56 27 148 71 2 1 0 0 209
N.W. 0 0 1 1 20 25 57 72 1 1 0 0 79
Fiji II 0 0 0 0 0 0 127 96 5 4 0 0 132
Solomons 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 11 74 87 2 2 85
Unexposed skin color was observed on the under surface of the upper arm
near the armpit. The anticipated shift in color range results in a
reduction of dark-skin incidence to a mere 1 per cent, and an increase
in medium brown to 60 per cent and of light brown to 30 per cent.
Howells' describes 96 per cent of his Fijians as medium brown, 4 per
cent dark brown, and none light brown. The Solomon Islanders seem
definitely darker than the Fijians whether they are compared with
Howells' or my series.
The eastern groups continues to contrast with the interior people. The
former show a majority of 64 per cent in the light-brown category as
compared with 13 per cent among the interior groups; the latter have a
medium-brown incidence of 87 per cent against 30 per cent among Lauans.
_Hair Color_
Black Dk. Brn Med. Brn Lt. Brn Red-Brown Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 757 93 31 5 1 0 0 0 18 2 807
Interior 145 95 8 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 153
East 114 95 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 120
Coast 193 92 11 5 0 0 0 0 5 2 204
N.W. 70 89 5 6 0 0 0 0 4 5 75
Fiji II 118 91 9 7 0 0 0 0 3 2 130
Solomons 55 65 26 31 0 0 3 4 0 0 84
Tonga 0 94 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Black hair is the usual color, although 5 per cent are described as dark
brown and a few red-brown. This latter variation is a rufous color
(reddish-brown) and it may be a little more frequent than the data
indicate because the Fijians frequently dye their hair with a substance
extracted from mangrove bark. This intensifies the usual blackness of
the hair and adds a satisfying gloss. More sophisticated natives have
access to modern hair dye and lacking this, some have been known to
resort to black shoe polish.
Hair bleaching is no longer practiced in Fiji.
The hair of the Solomons Islands is not so uniformly black, nearly a
third have dark-brown hair and a few are light brown.
_Eye Color_
Black Dk. Brown Med. Brown Lt. Brown Total
No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 2 0 550 68 257 31 4 1 813
Interior 0 0 131 86 22 14 0 0 153
East 0 0 71 59 48 40 1 1 120
Coast 0 0 127 61 81 39 1 0 209
N.W. 1 1 53 67 25 32 0 0 79
Fiji II 0 0 130 98 0 0 2 2 132
Solomons 0 0 85 100 0 0 0 0 85
Tonga 0 3 0 94 0 0 0 3
A little more than two-thirds of Fijians' eyes are described as dark
brown. The remaining third have medium-brown eyes. There were four
individuals who were light brown. Howells, with his Fijian series, is
more generous with the darker designation; he designated 98 per cent as
dark brown and 2 per cent light brown. His Solomons sample is described
as dark brown without exception. The Tongan data also is recorded as
more uniformly dark brown than my Fijians.
The Fijians of the interior of Viti Levu have more deeply pigmented eyes
than the others; 86 per cent are classed as dark brown and only 14 per
cent medium brown.