OUR VISIT TO THE NICOBARS lOI 



Most young men had fine ath- f^ ^l"! 



leiic figures. The population ' 



appeared to be strongly mixed. 



scraping of the coral, but then we slipped off into deep water once more 

 and proceeded without further mishap. After about two hours we saw 

 lights ahead. It was Moskoit, our destination. Slackening speed as we 

 approached the coast, we signalled with our pocket torches to summon 

 the inhabitants, and eventually we saw lights coming towards us from the 

 shore. We dropped anchor and stared intently into the dark. Suddenly, 

 two very large outrigger canoes emerged from the blackness. Each was 

 paddled by a crew of four or five and was gaily decorated with poles and 

 coloured ribbons, and there was a beautifully carved "bowsprit" both 

 fore and aft. Our party was divided between the two canoes, which, 

 though they were so narrow that there was just room for one man on 

 each thwart, could each hold between 15 and 20 persons. The crew 

 applied themselves to the paddles and we sped towards land. At e\ery 

 stroke the sea shone with phosphorescence. On the shore ahead of us 

 natives stood holding torches and dark figures were running about in 

 the light of them. In the background we could discern the circular huts 

 on their piles. 



When we got into shallow water the crew sprang into the sea and, to 

 the accompaniment of quick cries, hauled the boats ashore so that we 

 were able to step ashore dry-shod. An amazing scene met our eyes. 

 A large crowd of reddish-brown natives, nearly all men and children 

 wearing the customary loin-cloth, received us. Two men were holding 



