THE SHOM PEN AGAIN 147 



case of the women, to whose clothes the odour of stale pandanus- 

 bread clung strongly. All chewed quids of betel, lime, and 

 sireh leaves. 



" The teeth of one woman presented a most extraordinary- 

 appearance, that at first sight appeared to be a case of macro- 

 dontism ; the upper row projected outwards at an extreme 

 angle, and, when closely examined, proved to be concreted 

 together by a substance that was apparently a deposit of lime 

 from the ever-renewed quid. 



" Their hair, like that of the Nicobarese, varied from wavy to 

 curly, and so slightly did they differ from the coast people that 

 if one did not know who they were, they would pass, unless care- 

 fully examined, for ordinary Nicobarese, so far as appearance 

 and mode of life are concerned. 



" In proof of this statement it will suffice if I say that the 

 settlement which — with minds primed by tales of bark-garments 

 and triple-storied, fenced-in huts — we had thought to be a camp 

 of the coast people gathering rattan, was, in truth, the village 

 of this identical party. 



" Such a mistake was, under the circumstances, almost justifi- 

 able — their food, utensils for its preparation, cooking-pots 

 clothing, and domestic animals, were all exactly similar to those 

 of the Nicobarese. 



" It would appear, that, from constant intercourse with the 

 shore people, the Shorn Peri have adopted many of their 

 customs, and become possessed of similar property. The leader 

 of this party even spoke a few words of Malay. 



"All of them willingly submitted to be photographed and 

 measured, especially when they saw that after the process 

 there was a reward of red cotton, or brass cartridge cases, to 

 be used as ear-plugs. Such things as they received in this 

 way, or in payment for baskets and other articles, were immedi- 

 ately handed over to the women. 



" They seemed to indicate time by pointing to the sun, and 

 by such a method we made them understand that we should 

 pay another visit to their camp on the morrow." 



