IS THE PIGMIES. 



end. Numerous fragments of sun-baked pottery, decorated with 

 incisions of irregular designs, ( x ) were found in the same place. 

 The Mincopies still manufacture pots of the same kind, and if they 

 have not yet attained the art of baking pottery in a kiln, this is due, 

 no doubt, to the facility with which they can replace water vessels 

 by a length of bamboo, and cooking utensils by the large shells of 

 the Tridacna and Turbo. 



With the exception of harpoons exclusively used for fishing, the 

 bow is, according to the latest travellers, the only weapon employ- 

 ed in hunting or warfare. ( 2 ) The bow used in Little Andaman is 

 very similar, to most others, being straight and symmetrically 

 tapered from the middle to the ends. ( 3 ) In the Great Andaman, 

 on the contrary, it assumes a peculiar shape. In the middle there is 

 a kind of cylindrical handle of a comparatively small diameter ; 

 the two sides, rather wide at first, are flat inside with a convex back ; 

 they get thinner towards the extremities and are curved in opposite 

 way so that the whole reminds one of an elongated §. This bow 

 is from l m 75 to 2 m in length. ( 4 ) It is very hard to bend, and 

 the strongest English sailors were unable to string it. ( 5 ) In 

 spite of their small stature and rounded limbs, the Mincopies used 

 it so skillfully and with such power that, at 40 or 50 metres, the 

 arrows penetrated right through the clothes of Europeans and deep 

 into the flesh. Several varieties of arrows are used, among which 

 there is one which might be styled a hunting harpoon. The head 

 of it, to which the point is attached, is very small, whilst the shaft 

 is lm long. The two parts are brought together by means of a 

 strong cord twisted round so as to keep the two independent por- 

 tious together. When a pig is struck and tries to escape headlong 

 through the jungle, the cord unrolls itself, the barbed point of the 



(i) Plate XVI of General Lane -Fox's Note represents several of these 

 designs. 



( a ) Sy^ies alone has mentioned long spears and shields made of bark. 



(3) L axe-Fox, PI. XIV, fig. 3. 



( 4 ) Mouat, Loc. cit., p. 321. 



( 3 ) General Laxe-Fox observes that the same shaped bow is to be found 

 at Mallicolo. It also resembles the Japanese bow in so far as the ends are 

 not symmetrical. {Loc. cit., p. HO). 



