9TH AND 13TH CENTURY ACCOUNTS 177 



reference to the Archipelago, for he mentions a group of islands 

 under the name of Good Fortune, AySaijuouo^ N/7009, or the like 

 — "The Angdaman Islands" — whence have come the names 

 Agdaman, Angdaman, Andaman. Even at this early date the 

 inhabitants were said to be cannibals. 



Doubtless the Chinese knew of the group in comparatively 

 early times, for they have records of the neighbouring Nicobar 

 Islands going back for more than a thousand years. 



Skipping a long period, we next come to the ninth century, 

 and there have the accounts of Arab travellers (A.i). 871), which, 

 although of an alarming description, are tolerably correct in some 

 details. " TJie people eat human flesh quite raw ; their com- 

 plexion is black, their hair frizzled, their countenance and eyes 

 frightful, their feet very large, and almost a cubit in length, and 

 they go quite naked." Those ships, the story goes on to say, 

 which have been set back by contrary winds, and compelled to 

 anchor for the sake of water, commonly lose some of their men 

 on these barbarous coasts, and it is fortunate that the natives 

 have no ships or other vessels, otherwise they would seize and 

 devour all the passengers.* 



Reference to the Andamans in the thirteenth-century 

 narrative of Marco Polo is very much of a traveller's tale. 

 " Angamanain is a very large island. The people are without 

 a king, and are idolaters, and no better than wild beasts. All 

 the men of this island have heads like dogs, and teeth and eyes 

 likewise ; in fact, in face they are just like big mastiff dogs ! 

 They have a quantity of spices ; but they are a most cruel 

 generation, and eat everybody they can catch not of their own 

 race. They live on flesh, and rice and milk, and have fruits 

 different from ours." Colonel Yule suggests that Angamanain 

 is an Arabic (oblique) dual, indicating " The two Andamans," 

 viz., " The Great and the Little." 



In 1563, Master Caesar Frederike set out on his travels, and 

 returning homeward three years later, passed near the Nicobars 

 on his way from Malacca to Goa. " From Nicobar to Pegu is, 

 * Pinkertoiis CollecHofi of Voyages. 



M 



