THE PIGMIES. 15 



brought against several of these tribes, particularly against the 

 Mincopies. Now, far from having any liking for human flesh, the 

 Andamanese look upon it as a deadly poison. ( 1 ) 



All Negritos cook meat by boiling or roasting ; all consequently 

 are able to procure fire and no doubt use the same process, the fric- 

 tion of two pieces of wood. This is an uncertain and laborious task, 

 even for savages, and therefore when the first spark is procured, 

 they devise means to preserve it. The Mincopies have invented 

 a peculiar method of their own : " The large trees are charred in 

 " the interior : a great hollow is formed in the centre in which they 

 " allow about three feet of ashes to accumulate, under which fire 

 " is always found — over the fire of these strange ovens the Min- 

 " copie can grill his little pig, fry his fish and prepare his turtle 

 " soup." ( 2 ) Among the Manthras the charred tree is replaced by a 

 heap of clay enclosed in a wooden frame in which fire is care- 

 fully kept up. ( 3 ) In cold or temperate climates the most urgent 

 wants, after food, are shelter and clothing. In tropical countries, on 

 the contrary, clothes are a matter of luxury and are often more 

 inconvenient than useful. It is almost the same with regard to 

 dwelliugs. A simple cover, affording shade during the day, shelter 

 from the moon's rays at night, and protection from rain, answers 

 all the most important purposes. Travellers are but too often 

 unmindful of these circumstances, and many writers look upon 

 this extreme simplicity of dress or houses, as a sign of intellectual 

 inferiority and want of industry. The Mincopies have been 

 reproached with wearing no clothes. It is a fact ; with the excep- 

 tion of a girdle to which I shall refer further on, their dress is 

 limited to uncouth tattooing or painting such as we see in 

 Mr. Dobson's phototypes. ( 4 ) Still, in order to protect them- 

 selves against mosquitos or other insects, they are in the habit, 

 when night comes on, of smearing the body with a thick coating of 



(i) Day, loc. cit. p. 165. 



( 2 ) Mouat, Adventures, p. 308. 



( 3 ) Montano, loc. cit. p. 46. 



('* ) On the Andamans and Andamanese. (The Journal of the Anthropolo- 

 ncal Institute, Vol. IV, p. 457, PL XXXI, XXXII and XXXIIIJ 



