THE NATIVES 49 



across the beams, are hung coconut shells — joined in pairs by 

 a short rattan handle — which contain the day's supply of 

 water. 



The thatch of the houses — generally of lallang grass, but 

 sometimes of palm leaf — is fastened to a framework, built with 

 vertical rafters of the mid-ribs of the coco palm, joined cross- 

 ways by battens of areca wood, of which material the grated 

 floor is also made. Until recently, the whole structure was held 

 together by careful mortising and lashings of cane, but now it 

 is evident from the newer buildings that nails are coming into 

 use among the natives of this island for such work. 



The houses stand in groups, on open sandy ground, and 

 interspersed with them are plantations (jya) of bananas, melons, 

 and sweet potatoes — protected from the numerous roving pigs by 

 zigzag fences of rails piled horizontally between double posts — 

 and clumps of fruit-trees of many varieties — coconut, orange, 

 lime, shaddock, soursop, jack champada, tamarind and papaya. 



Sturdy brown-skinned natives, clad in the scantiest kissdis * 

 of red cotton, and wearing picturesque chaplets of white palm 

 leaf with long projecting ends [td-cJidkld), stared at us as we 

 walked through the village ; children and women, with a piece 

 of cotton cloth hitched round the waist, disappeared in the 

 houses as we approached. The teeth of all were stained by 

 constant betel-chewing, and, since the blacker the colour the 

 more beautiful is the owner according to local standard, to 

 produce this effect the teeth are never cleaned. 



The dwelling-place of the headman {inaJi), who is named 

 Offandi, in no way differed from the others. We made our 

 presence known from below. " Wait," came a voice, " wait till 

 I've got my clothes on," and soon after the chief appeared in 

 a rusty suit of black broadcloth, and a damaged, bowler hat. 

 He was a short but exceedingly strong-looking man, with a 

 thick neck and bullet head, and wore a very slight moustache. 



* Kissdt is the Kar Nicobaiese name for the loin-cloth worn by males. 

 In the Central and Southern Islands of the group this article of attire is styled 

 neng, 



D 



