PIRACY 91 



yields good timber; Sterculia cmnpanulata and Terminalia procera, 

 which grow to immense sizes. The Nicobar and many other 

 palms occur in numbers, and a wild species of cinnamon is 

 common, as also is Ainomum fcnzlii, the leaves of which are 

 used for cigarette wrappings, and the fruit much eaten by the 

 natives. 



But little fruit is grown about the villages : limes, guavas, 

 and soursops are commonest. In the way of supplies, coco- 

 nuts, pigs, and a few fowls might be obtained from the natives, 

 and beef by shooting the wild cattle. Water in the harbour 

 is very bad, and scarce.* 



By a comparison of the census returns (1886 and 1901), the 

 population would seem to have been stationary for many years : 

 it now consists of 224 individuals. 



The central group of islands was once notorious for the 

 frequent disasters occurring to vessels calling there. It was 

 for long thought that the numerous total losses that occurred 

 in the Bengal Sea were due to storms and cyclones ; but at 

 length the discovery was made, that, from the beginning o the 

 century until the British occupation, the vicinity of Nankauri 

 Harbour was the habitat of a band of pirates, who cut off and 

 murdered the crews of many vessels calling to trade and supply 

 themselves with water or provisions. The headquarters of the 

 band appear to have been in Expedition Harbour, and from 

 there, whenever a vessel anchored at the islands, they sallied 

 out, and either getting on board under the guise of peaceful 

 natives, took the crews by surprise with a sudden attack, or else 

 cut up landing-parties, and then captured the weakened vessel. 



In this way, always by treachery and never in open war- 

 fare, they succeeded in capturing ship after ship. 



There is some ground for belief that, for a time, the piratical 

 goings-on were carried out under the leadership of an Englishman 



* Mr E. H. Man writes, however : — " Water is plentiful in the numerous 

 masonry wells and reservoir in the old Government station which is in the 

 harbour. We used to boil and filter it by way of precaution, and then it was 

 quite safe." 



