310 CUSTOMS OF THE KAR NICOBARESE 



The refreshments partaken of are coconuts, tobacco, and toddy. 

 The latter is supplied in large quantities, and gives rise to much 

 intoxication, which, however, only seems to result in increased 

 friendliness and a drunken sleep. 



When a quarrel takes place the participators often seek 

 revenge in destroying each other's coconut trees, but in severe 

 cases a man will probably burn his own house down. Possibly 

 this is done on the supposition that the enemy will suffer more 

 from self-reproach at having been the cause of the destruction 

 than from any other form of punishment he could undergo. 

 Or possibly it is a mild instance of a peculiar form of " amok," 

 to a variation of which curious psychological state the Nico- 

 barese are undoubtedly subject on occasions when they consider 

 themselves injured. Several instances that have been recorded 

 of kindred occurrences will perhaps best illustrate this conduct 

 and idiosyncrasy. 



I. A man named Kuhangta purchased some things from 

 the traders on the responsibility of another named Tumilo. 

 As the traders pressed Tumilo for immediate payment, he 

 urged Kuhangta to settle the matter with coconuts forthwith. 

 Kuhangta was enraged at this, and killed several of his own 

 pigs, and also set fire to his own house. He threatened, in 

 addition, to kill any one who approached, and kept a ddo in 

 hand for that purpose. Lorenzo therefore went to the owner 

 of a gun and begged that Kuhangta might be killed. This 



circles of men and women were formed, linked hand in hand, one circle 

 within the other. The dance continued for hours, accompanied by a mono- 

 tonous chant. Sometimes the two circles moved in opposite directions, or 

 expanded to their utmost stretch and contracted again by advancing towards 

 the centre. In posturing they kept time with the singing, all turning to 

 right and then to left, raising their arms or letting them fall together. The 

 inner circle knelt on the left knee, placing their heads to the ground, but 

 still holding each other, while the outer circle, also hand-in-hand, stepped 

 over them and became the inner one. This was frequently repeated, and 

 in this and other movements the dance consisted. The circles consisted of 

 about 200 people each." — "A Visit to Car Nicobar, 1851," by Captain 

 Gardner, Singapore Re7new, vol. ii. 



