TALLIES 319 



destroying the stores of kopra. For this they are remunerated 

 separately. 



While some are thus engaged, others take passages in such 

 of the trading vessels as go to Kamorta and other islands, in 

 order to assist in husking coconuts and making kopra, work for 

 which they receive one nut in ten. These opportunities are 

 much desired by the natives, since they are at liberty to take 

 home with them any number of Chaura pots, rattans, bamboos, 

 paddles, and canoes ; and masters of trading boats are glad to 

 employ the Kar Nicobarese, for the people of the other islands 

 are too indolent to collect and prepare the nuts, but sell them 

 on the trees. 



While the men are so occupied, the women and children are 

 busy helping the traders to make kopra, and for this service 

 they are fed twice daily, and receive presents at the termination 

 of the work. 



Careful accounts are kept by the Nicobarese of their trans- 

 actions in coconuts, by means of a tally-stick {kefirdta kuk, 

 Kar Nicobar), on which all the nuts that pass from them to 

 the traders are registered by various kinds of notches. 



A regular account is kept of the months, so that festivals 

 may be held in proper season, and a daily account is kept of 

 a child's age until the time arrives for piercing its ears, an 

 operation taking place soon after the first year. 



Note. — Since this chapter was printed, I have learned that the Anthropo- 

 logical Society has made use of V. Solomon's diaries in a paper appearing in 

 their Journal for July 1902. It is perhaps well to say here that neither the 

 Society nor myself was aware that the same material was about to be a 

 subject for publication elsewhere. — C. B. K. 



