1870.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 23 



problematic. I should be very much inclined to believe that these 

 northern islands were formerly, in spite' of the poor soil, covered with 

 a forest jungle, in a similar manner, as parts of them are up to the 

 present date. When staying for a few hours* in the Nangcouri 

 haven, I visited a place of Oamorta on the western side of the 

 harbour, where near a small deserted building, a piece of ground 

 about a mile long had evidently been years ago cleared, the forest 

 having been burnt down. Scarcely a single sound tree was growing 

 on the place, but the whole was thickly covered with the same kind 

 of rough Oyperaceous grass, which almost solely occupies the in-' 

 terior portions of the northern island. Looking at this state of 

 things the idea, that the jungles on the northern islands may have 

 aeen burnt down at a time, when the immigration of the Malay 

 Nicobarese took place, in order to exterminate the aboriginal popula- 

 tion, does not appear to be without foundation. 



The President said the thanks of the meeting were due to Dr.' 

 Stoliczka for- his paper. It was a very fitting pendant to the 

 paper of Sir A. P h a y r e which had just been read. That brought 

 under notice a phase of an antique civilization, which had long 

 passed away ; this dwelt upon the features of a primitive civilization, 

 which was still in existence ; for kitchen middens, undistinguishable 

 in character from those of Europe, also appeared to be still growing 

 under Nicobarese habits of life. There could be no inference of 

 identity of race here. It was to be hoped that the acquirements 

 and mode of living of the Nicobarese and Andamanese would be 

 well studied and recorded before their present primitive condition 

 should be altered under English influences. 



* In October, 1869, Steamer Scotia, Capt. J, Avern. 



