3o6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 



They are fond of singing when they rest on their paddles, 

 or just as they have laid themselves down for the night, 

 but their music is rather weird and disagreeable. 



The language is not unmelodious, with the accent on 

 the last syllable, and the pitch of the voice is likewise 

 raised on that syllable. The native word for bow is 

 ka-rania ; for pig arrow, e-la ; for waist-belt, bod; for 

 shell-belt, gar-en-pe-ta ; for North Andaman, Aka-char- 

 ria ; for South Andaman, Bo-jigngiji. 



As a rule the dead are buried, but it is considered an 

 honour to the dead to wrap the corpse in leaves, and 

 place it on a platform in a tree ; after a certain lapse of 

 time, the remains are removed, and the bones worn as 

 ornaments. During the period of mourning no turtle or 

 pork is eaten, and the mourners smear themselves with 

 white clay. 



I had no opportunity of visiting the Little Anda- 

 man, neither would it have been altogether advisable 

 for me to have gone there unaccompanied by some who 

 knew the [)eople and their language, for the inhabitants 

 are not as tame as those on the Great Andaman, though 

 as I have already said progress is being made, especially 

 with the tribe of Ouges, who have accepted j)resents, and 

 seem to be the most peaceful. 



In appearance the inhabitants of the Little Andaman 

 are the same as those of the other Islands, but they differ 

 in language and habits. The huts on the Great Andaman 

 are slight erections made of palm leaves, and will shelter 

 only about six persons, whereas the huts of the Ouges 

 are substantially built, bee-hived in shape, and will hold 

 twenty persons ; further, the women wear a tassel instead 

 of a leaf apron, have many children, and the bows are like 

 those of any other race, straight. 



It may not unnaturally l)e asked, why does the 

 Government of India take so much trouble to tame and 

 support a moribund race ? 



