lOO OUR VISIT TO THE NICOBARS 



green parrot, some small reddish-brown pigeons, and a number af smaller 

 birds. We found on our return to the village that Captain Greve and Dr. 

 Bruun were making a courtesy call on the "Queen", the local native chief. 

 Later in the day she paid a return visit to the Galathea, together with 

 her daughter, her sons, and her brother. She was a dignified matron, and 

 on the occasion of our visit attired in her best, a flowered cotton dress. 

 As she did not speak English, Dr. Ramanand was obliged to interpret 

 for us; and before leaving the ship, her Majesty and the rest of the royal 

 family duly made their marks in the Galathea's visitors' book. The queen's 

 house was a rather large, square building standing on piles, but apart 

 from this there were many of the original cube-shaped huts in the village. 

 The space underneath was peacefully shared by playing children, pigs, 

 and poultry. On the sandy beach in front of the huts lay the native boats, 

 outrigger canoes made from hollowed-out tree-trunks, very slender and 

 gracefully shaped. 



Our ship was to have left Nankowry Harbour the same evening, but 

 we were informed by Dr. Ramanand that there was to be a big funeral 

 celebration in a native village at the north of Camorta, and he offered 

 to take a small party there by boat. This was a unique opportunity, and 

 so it was decided that the Galathea should stay overnight. For the twelve 

 chosen to go on this nocturnal expedition by motor-boat it was an amaz- 

 ing experience, an encounter with a primitive and uncorrupted culture 

 of a kind not found in many places today. As we arrived unannounced, 

 there was no question of a specially arranged display for tourists. 



The queen from Nankowry accompanied us, as did her daughter and 

 two sons, the last-named acting as pilots. Her brother also wished to 

 come, but during the day's ceremonies he had partaken too freely of the 

 liquid refreshments, and when he tried to board the motor-boat on rather 

 shaky legs a stern glance from the authoritative queen made him desist. 



The journey to the village of Moshoit was an experience in itself. It 

 was dark when we entered the strait between Camorta and the island of 

 Trincut to the east of it. Coral reefs extend from both of these islands, 

 leaving a narrow winding fairway which in places is only loo metres wide. 

 As the tide was in and it was calm weather the reefs were invisible, and 

 we could not help but admire the native skill in navigating in these 

 difficult waters. As it was, we had one narrow escape. When the pilots 

 believed we were clear of the channel, the order was given for full speed 

 ahead ; but hardly had it been carried out when a collision with a coral reef 

 sent us all sprawling about the boat. One of our pilots nearly fell 

 overboard. However, we escaped with the shock. We could feel the 



