316 CUSTOMS OF THE KAR NICOBARESE 



menced to beat the dead man. I was afraid and ran away, and 

 cannot say what happened further, nor could I recognise any of 

 the assailants. I am glad, however, that the two men were killed, 

 for they were wicked men." 



Kokali, son of one of the deceased, seconded the statements of 

 his mother, and said, " I am glad that they were killed ; they were 

 very bad men ; the village now enjoys peace." 



The culprits were finally apprehended, and one of them, 

 Ringangmareng, grasping a stick, cried in great anger, " Why do 

 you call me here ? I am the man who killed those wicked villains 

 with the very stick I have now in my hand. Do you wish to 

 handcuff me and carry me to Port Blair ? Do so if you like, but 

 you must not take niah " — pointing to the chief Kan-nyana. 



(The Nicobarese possess much affection for their chiefs, and 

 also value their tatniluanas highly. When one of the latter was 

 being taken to Port Blair because of misconduct, the headman of 

 his village entreated that two other men might be substituted for 

 the " doctor.") 



Suicide is not recognised as an institution of Nicobarese life, 

 but cases of it do occur somewhat occasionally. 



Pin-re-ta was a good man, very rich, and had no wife nor 

 any enemies, and therefore his fellow-villagers could show no 

 cause for the occurrence. One day, his servant-boy, who was 

 sleeping in the cookhouse, was aroused by a noise as of a pig 

 being beaten. Going down the ladder to see what was happen- 

 ing, he noticed that the pig-sty was in flames, and that a pig 

 had been killed, and then he saw Pin-re-ta, who, standing below 

 the cookhouse, axe in hand, threatened to murder him. The 

 boy ran off to the jungle, where people were making a garden ; 

 and they, returning with him, found that Pin-re-ta, after setting 

 fire to both his houses, had thrown himself into the flames, and 

 was burnt to death. 



While the negotiations were going on for the plot of land 

 on which the Schoolhouse and Agent's bungalow stand, it was 



