252 THE NICOBARESE 



and prior to the introduction of cotton and cloth garments they 

 clothed themselves in tapa or cloth made of the beaten bark 

 of a tree at present believed to be the Ficus brevicuspis, also 

 with girdles of split coconut leaves. 



They are, however, expert basketmakers, and many -shaped 

 baskets for various purposes are manufactured in different patterns 

 of mesh, entirely out of the strips of rattan, or of the bark of 

 the Maranta dichotoma. 



What the sago is to the Papuan, the pandanus is to the Nico- 

 barese, and its luxuriant natural growth renders unnecessary 

 any extensive agricultural labour on his part. The other great 

 support of life — the coconut — once planted, thrives without 

 further attention, and for the rest, his fruits, bananas, and 

 yams, require but the slightest amount of cultivation. The 

 implement used in all cases seems to be the ddo only. 



The islands produce no artificial material, and no raw merchan- 

 dise is imported. Among themselves the natives trade in little 

 more than pottery and canoes, and the only stores or bazaars are 

 kept by foreigners who barter with the inhabitants. Coconuts, 

 betel-nuts, rattan, mother - o'- pearl shells, trepang, and edible 

 birds' nests, are the only trade commodities. The two latter 

 are of minor importance, and are collected directly by the 

 traders ; the rattan comes from Great Nicobar only. Ambergris, 

 for which the Nicobars were most noted in the Middle Ages, 

 is still found, principally in the vicinity of Nankauri Harbour, 

 and sold to traders. 



All traders visiting the Nicobars have to obtain, either from 

 Port Blair or from one of the local Government Agents, a 

 license, at a cost of i rupee per man of the crew, which grants 

 them " permission to visit ... for the purpose of trade during 

 the present north - east monsoon season, on the condition 

 that no person who may proceed thither by the vessel shall be 

 permitted to remain behind . . . after her departure." 



Disagreements between the traders and natives are frequent, 

 and, for the most part, seem due to the dishonesty and high-handed 

 behaviour of the former. They get the natives into their debt 



