﻿OF CARNICOBAR. 341 



cannot make these themselves. This voyage they 

 perform by the help of the sun and stars, for they 

 know nothing of the compass. 



In their disposition there are two remarkable quali- 

 ties. One is their entire neglect of compliment and 

 ceremony, and the other, their aversion to dishonesty. 

 A Carnicobarian travelling to a distant village upon 

 business or amusement, passes through many towns 

 in his way without perhaps speaking to any one. If 

 he is hungry or tired, he goes up into the nearest house, 

 and helps himself to what he wants, and sits till he 

 is rested, without taking the smallest notice of any of 

 the family, unless he has business or news to commu- 

 nicate. Theft or robbery is so very rare amongst 

 them, that a man going out of his house, never 

 takes away his ladder, or shuts his door, but leaves 

 it open for any body to enter that pleases, without 

 the least apprehension of having any thing stolen from 

 him. 



Their intercourse with strangers is so frequent, that 

 they have acquired in general the barbarous language 

 of the Portuguese, so common over India ; their own 

 tongue has a sound quite different from most others, 

 their words being pronounced with a kind of stop, 

 or catch in the throat, at every syllable. The few fol- 

 lowing words will serve to shew those who are ac- 

 quainted with other Indian languages, whether there 

 is any similitude between them. 



A man, Kegonia To eat, Gwa. 



A woman, Kecanna. To drink, Okk. 



A child, Chu. Yams, T'oivla. 



To laugh, Ayelaur. To weep, Poing. 



A canoe, -dpp» A pine-apple, Frwig, 



