146 F. A. de Eoepstorff — On the Inlialitants of the Nicolars. [July, 



therefore early in April started southwards and arrived at Pulo Condul on 

 the morning of the 5th. I was very well received and took the occasion to 

 tell my wish to my hosts. Their Kvely faces changed at once, and they de- 

 clared that it was quite impossible. I then told them, that if it could not be 

 done of course I would have to give it up, but that I in no way intended to 

 stir from the house until I had seen and talked to a Shombong. My people 

 then agreed to try. It so happened that just at this time a father with his 

 son were down at the coast to get some tobacco from the coast people, but 

 these two lived six miles away in a lonely and out-of-the-way swamp. All 

 declared that they would run away if I came unawares upon them, so 

 two men were sent off with a present of tobacco to them and to prepare 

 them for my coming. After allowing them a start of two hours we fol- 

 lowed, and as it was a very hot and calm day, the sis nailes went very slowly, 

 but amongst other things I tried to elicit from my guides something about 

 these people. They told me that the Shombong ate monkeys, that they 

 devoured the python snake, and in fact any animal food they could get. 

 That they, some twenty years ago, before a great earthquake that took 

 place about that time, had lived a few miles from the coast opjjosite to Con- 

 dul on Great Nicobar, but they then got into some difficulties with the 

 coast people, and moved away further inland to some far ofE hills. They 

 showed me both places from the sea. That there were three tribes. One 

 at this (the north) end, one on the west coast and one south, on the 

 Galathea river. That the one tribe on the west coast was now very 

 sociable, and that I could easily visit them, as they were not afraid of 

 foreigners, but would even go on board the Malay ships for tobacco. 

 That the men went quite naked when at home and the women wore a short 

 skirt of a cloth pressed from cettis bark, which the Shombongs make. That 

 the Shombongs have fine gardens in which they cultivate yams and othei' 

 roots. That they had no coeoanuts because the monkeys destroyed them, 

 and that" they in fact had objections* to coeoanuts. 



That they married one man one woman and that marriage was always 

 for life. This is, however, not the case with the coast j)eople where marriage 

 is quite voluntary and can be broken off at any time. That none of the 

 coast people had ever been to their place, and that in fact they woidd die if 

 they did on account of the fever and evil spirits. That the Shombongs had 

 great power over the elements, and had ver'y powerful sorcerers among them. 

 That they were very fond of glass beads, but would not have such big beads 

 as the coast people wore, only small ones. 



At last we arrived at the Ganges harbom* where there were many traces- 

 of the earthquake they had spoken of, for a whole piece of land had sunk 

 * The expression used was tjuit (tjit), which means religious or superstitious oh- 

 ieetions. 



