xix THE ANDAMAN ISLANDERS 299 



baked in the fire, but these are hand -made, as they are 

 ignorant of the use of the potter's wheel. Their clothing is 

 of the scantiest description, and what little they have serves 

 chiefly for decorative or ornamental purposes, and not for 

 keeping the body warm. They make no use of the skins of 

 animals. They have fairly well-made dug-out canoes and 

 outriggers, but fit only for navigating the numerous creeks 

 and straits between the islands, and not for voyages in the 

 open sea. They are expert swimmers and divers. Though 

 constantly using fire, they are quite ignorant of the art of 

 producing it, and have to expend much care and labour in 

 keeping up a constant supply of burning or smouldering wood. 

 They are ignorant of all metals, but for domestic purposes 

 make great use of shells, especially a species of Gyrene, found 

 abundantly on the shores of the islands, also quartz chips and 

 flakes, and bamboo knives. They have stone anvils and 

 hammers, and they make good string from vegetable fibres, 

 as well as baskets, fishing nets, sleeping mats, etc. Their 

 principal weapons are the bow and arrow, in the use of which 

 they are very skilful. They have harpoons for killing turtle 

 and fish, but no kind of shield or breastplate for defence when 

 fighting. The natural fertility of the island supplies them 

 with abundance and variety of food all the year round. This 

 consists of pigs (Sus andamanensis), which are numerous on 

 the islands, paradoxures, dugongs, and occasionally porpoises, 

 iguanas, turtles, turtles' eggs, many kinds of fish, prawns, 

 mollusks. larvae of large wood-boring and burrowing beetles, 

 honey, and numerous roots (as yams), fruits, and seeds. The 

 food, the purveying of which affords occupation and amusement 

 for the greater part of the male population, is invariably 

 cooked before eating, and generally taken when extremely 

 hot. They were ignorant of all stimulants or intoxicating 

 drinks in fact, water was their only beverage ; and tobacco, 

 or any substitute for it, was quite unknown till introduced by 

 Europeans. 



As with all other human beings existing at present in the 

 world, however low in the scale of civilisation, the social life 

 of the Andamanese is enveloped in a complex maze of un- 

 written law or custom, the intricacies of which are most 



