24 PORT BLAIR 



The sheds in which the aborigines are domiciled are substantial 

 structures of attap, standing near the sea in the shade of coco palms. 

 We found present eight or nine women, and twice that number of 

 men and boys, who, on catching sight of our advance, ran out of 

 doors to meet us. Two or three babies present were carried by 

 the mothers in a broad band suspended from forehead or shoulder. 

 The first thought that flashed into one's mind on perceiving them, 

 with their small stature, sooty skins, and frizzly hair, was that here 

 were a number of juvenile negroes ("niggers") : they are, however, 

 far better-looking than that people, and some of the women might 

 almost be called pretty, even when judged from a European 

 standpoint. 



For clothing, the men wore breech-clouts of red cotton, and 

 strings of beads or small shells about the neck : the ornaments of 

 the women consisted of similar necklaces, and several girdles of 

 beads or bark, in the lowest of which a green leaf was inserted, by 

 way of apron. The hair of the women was slightly shorter than the 

 men's, but worn in a similar fashion — all but a circular patch on 

 the top of the head, like a skull-cap, was shaved away, and this was 

 often divided by a broad band of bare skin running from back to 

 front. Chest and back were covered with skin decoration of the 

 cicatrice type, which, healing without any tendency to keloid, left a 

 smooth mark, distinguished by its lustre only from the normal 

 surface. Many had smeared themselves with fat, which gave the 

 skin a very shiny appearance. 



The bows carried were of the recurved paddle type that attains 

 its greatest development in the Andamans,* and the arrows were 

 armed with formidable iron points and barbs : the heads of these 

 are detachable, and are connected with a shaft by a short cord of 

 fibre, which is wound about the arrow by twisting the head in its 



* A somewhat similar weapon to this remarkable bow is found among the 

 Oregon Indians, and also seen in the composite bow of the Eskimos, while a 

 third, still more closely approaching it in appearance and principle, is found in 

 New Ireland and the New Hebrides. 



An interesting account of the Andamanese bow, with a series of photographs 

 showing the various stages of construction, has been contributed by Mr M. V. 

 Portman to the Archery volume of the Badminton Library. 



