io6 



OUR VISIT TO THE NICOBARS 



Single cumbats with poles are nuw u/ilv for displav, though hard blows are exchanged, hi the old 

 days they would often end in the death of one of the combatants. 



details of what happened in the half-hght and the crowd. The waiHng 

 of the women in the hut was heard at varying pitch throughout the 

 ceremony. 



Before leaving, we re-entered the hut to watch a dance. Some 15 men 

 ranged themselves in a circle round the inner circle of the women holding 

 skulls. Grasping one another by the arm, they began dancing to the 

 accompaniment of a slow, monotonous chant, marking the rhythm by 

 stamping on the floor. During the intervals the women lifted their voices 

 in the obligatory chorus of wails. We recorded both the singing and the 

 wailing on our wire-recorder. 



It was now time to depart, and after a cordial leave-taking with our 

 hosts we were paddled out to the motor-boat. The return journey was 

 completed without mishap, and we were too tired and exhausted to 

 wonder how the natives succeeded in finding their way in difficult waters 

 in the pitch-black tropical night. At half-past three in the morning we 

 were back on the Galathea, which presently weighed anchor and made 

 course for the next island of Great Nicobar. 



The following day, we proceeded down the east coast of Great Nicobar, 

 which is the largest and most southerly island in the group. This coast 



