PSYCHICAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERS OF THE MINCOPIES. 243 



usually one hut, square in form, built and roofed in with much more care 

 and attention than the others, and generally richer in pigs' and turtles' heads ; 

 it is the residence of the local chief, who issues the orders as to the fight and 

 retreat when necessary. 



On a death occurring, the corpse is removed from the interior of the hut to 

 a distance of a pace or two, where it remains until burial, which takes place 

 a few hours after. The thighs are drawn up to the belly, the legs flexed upon 

 the thighs ; the arms placed straight upon the chest and belly, so that the 

 hands project between the thighs; and thus, enveloped in leaves, the body is 

 tied up like a bundle by cordage of strong creepers, the ends being knotted 

 together to form a sling, which the carrier, with his back turned towards the 

 corpse, puts over his head and shoulders, and with the assistance of two men 

 rises with his burden, and is accompanied by two or three men, relatives of 

 the deceased, to the burial-place. This is usually about a mile inland from 

 the sea-shore. The grave is an irregularly round hole about three feet deep, 

 dug with a pointed piece of stick, the earth being thrown out by the hands. 

 The body is lifted into the grave by means of the sling, the earth filled in and 

 forming a small mound. 



Before the corpse is prepared for burial, the wife and one or two near rela- 

 tives sit down and weep over it. Two or three months after burial, when the 

 flesh has decomposed and been eaten by land-crabs and ants, some near rela- 

 tives of the deceased proceed to the spot and disinter the bones ; and having 

 bound them together with creeper-cords, carry them to the encampment and 

 spread them out, when these are wept over by the relatives, each of whom takes 

 a bone, the nearest relative taking the skull and lower jaw, which may be 

 carried suspended by a cord from the neck for months. The bones are some- 

 times bound to the posts of the hut. 



The chief weapons of the Andaman race are bows and arrows, the latter 

 ■with iron heads. A chief has been observed to have a spear, his bow and 

 arrows being carried by a henchman. 



The hair is shaved, the skin scarified in certain maladies, and the tattooing 

 performed by pieces of glass — chips of bottle-glass skilfully detached by sharp 

 blows of a stone. 



The materials for the above weapons, viz. iron and glass, are obtained from 

 wrecks. If flint-nodules were present in the Andamans, no doubt the native 

 instinct, and notices of the appearances of accidental fractures of such nodules, 

 would have led to the formation of the primitive knife from flint, as from glass. 



The Andamaners appear to be devoid of fear; they are powerful for their 

 size ; can carry greater burdens than the Hindoos ; are swift runners, and 

 clear rapidly, by jumping, the fallen trees of the jungle and rocks of the tidal 

 shore. As climbers they are little inferior to monkeys, being used from child- 

 hood to climb the lofty, straight, unbranched trees of the forest in quest of 

 fruit and honey. They are excellent swimmers from their childhood, and 

 wonderful divers, "fishing for shell-fish in deep water." "I have seen," 

 deposes the sepoy, " three or four of them dive into deep water and bring up 

 in their arms a fish, six or seven feet in length, which they had seized." .... 

 " They could perceive canoes approaching long before they were visible tome, 

 and could see fruits and honeycombs in the jungle which I could not. Their 

 vision penetrates to great depths in the sea, where they could see and shoot 

 fish with arrows, when the object aimed at was not apparent to me. They 

 see well at night, catching fish in the pools left by the tide at that season, and 

 shooting the wild pigs which come to the coast to drink by night." By their 

 acute sense of smell they often detect afar off the existence of fruit in the 

 neighbouring lofty trees. 



r2 



