224 THE NICOBARESE 



Nothing is more possible than that, after one of their 

 disasters, a small section of the Talaings fled from their home 

 and established themselves in the Nicobars, which they had pro- 

 bably become cognisant of in the way of trade.* At present 

 the only sea-going craft are a few score " kallu," small junks of 

 20-60 tons, built in Tavoy, which, manned by five or six 

 Talaings, venture as far as the Nicobars, where they ship coco- 

 nuts in the fine monsoon.f 



Nor are these all, for the islanders are doubtless leavened by 

 stray immigrants from India, :J: — which would account for the not 

 infrequent occurrence of Caucasian features among them, — by 

 Arabs, and even by Chinese. 



Malays and Burmese — or rather Talaings — formed, however, 

 the greater part of the intrusive element. 



Although colonisation was very local — the reason possibly 

 for so many distinct languages in the group — the islands now 

 exhibit a state of transition, due to intercrossing. Individuals 

 occur at the extremes of the Archipelago who bear a striking 

 resemblance to each other, but nevertheless there is a marked, 

 though vague, difference to be seen when the natives of several 

 of the islands, or groups of islands, are compared with each 

 other as a body. 



" All things considered, it may be inferred that the Archi- 



* "The Nicobar Islands were peopled from the opposite main and the 

 coast of Pegu, in proof of which the Nicobar and Pegu languages are said, 

 by those (Nicobarese?) acquainted with the latter, to have much resem- 

 blance." — Hamilton, Asiatic Researches, vol. ii. 



t Burmah, M. and B. Ferrars. 



X (a) In 1899, thirty-five men from the Maldives arrived at Kar Nicobar in 

 a ferry-boat, which resembled a lighter in appearance, and was built of 

 coconut wood. They had gone to Maldive from Addo Atel to buy rice, 

 and encountering a storm on the return journey, had missed their island, 

 and after a two months' voyage (more than 1000 miles) reached Kar Nico- 

 bar, having thrown overboard most of their rice to keep their vessel afloat. 

 As they feared to go back in their own boat, they were forwarded to 

 Calcutta in various trading-vessels. 



(d) " In almost all the villages (central group), Malabars or Bengalese are 

 to be found. The natives encourage them to stay by grants of land, and 

 after a certain number of years they are permitted to make choice of a 

 female companion." — Nicholas Fontana, Asiatic Researches, vol. iii. 



