Ball — On a Visit to Port Blair, Andaman Islands. 67 



observed a woman engaged in making flakes, which she skilfully 

 chipped off a piece of dark bottle glass with a quartz pebble. Having 

 struck off a flake of suitable character, she forthwith proceeded, with 

 astonishing rapidity, to shave off the spiral twists of hair which covered 

 the head of her son. [The hair so cut off, together with the flakes, were 

 exhibited to the Academy.] 



Mr. Horn fray informed me that the Andamanese can still manufac- 

 ture the flakes of flint, which they effect by first heating the stones in 

 a fire, that being found to facilitate the breaking in the required 

 directions. 



Thus we have, at the present day, a race who practise an art, proofs 

 of the wide-spread knowledge of which in prehistoric times are shown 

 by frequent discoveries in all quarters of the globe. 



The Andamanese are, however, advancing beyond their stone age. 

 In one corner of the building, a woman was occupied in polishing and 

 wearing down into shape an iron arrow head. It was a most formidable 

 affair, heart-shaped, and from 1\ to 3 inches in diameter. 



In the centre of the Home there was a trophy formed of the 

 bones of pigs, dugong, and turtle, together with some bundles of human 

 ribs, which latter had been deposited there after having been carried 

 about by the relatives of the deceased. All these objects were covered 

 with red clay. 



Mr. Homfray said that he had encouraged the occupants of the 

 Home in the formation of this collection, as it served to attach them to 

 the place, and to make them really regard it as their home. 



I made some selections, with Mr. Homfray's permission, from this 

 trophy. The strings with which the objects were tied were severed 

 by a cyrena valve ; this shell, as I have above noted, furnishing the 

 ordinary knives. 



In hunting for dugong and turtle, the practice appears to be to 

 run the canoe close to where the animal lies asleep, or basking on the 

 surface of the water. The striker, grasping the spear or harpoon 

 firmly in both hands, springs forward, the weight of his body serving 

 to drive in the weapon further than could be done by mere hurling. 

 A tussle in the water ensues, at which other men jumping from the 

 canoe assist. 



As to the reported cannabalism of the Andamanese, Mr. Homfray 

 furnished me with the following evidence. He interrogated the 

 natives themselves, and they manifested the greatest repugnance to the 

 idea, and denied most emphatically that such a custom existed amongst 

 them. 



Further, some few years ago, thirteen men who landed from a ship 

 on the Little Andaman, for the purpose of searching for water, were all 

 murdered. An expedition was, on the arrival of the news, despatched 

 from Port Blair, to visit the scene, and ascertain the circumstances. 

 The members of this expedition, together with some of the Port Blair 

 Andamanese, landed on the island. They were received with the most 

 determined hostility, which the unruly and aggressive conduct of 



