164 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [June, 



expired, they wash off the olive- coloured earth, and revert to their 

 red paint. 



Having no ties to keep them to one place, the Andamanese wan- 

 der about for food, or as their fancy dictates. They have scarcely 

 a want, hut as luxuries they esteem tobacco, especially Cavendish, 

 and " grog." They do not care for sugar, but are immoderately fond 

 of honey, they eat the cuttlefish, are much addicted to chitons, but 

 despise raw oysters. Formerly they appear to have consumed al- 

 most anything ; on wet days worms, caterpillars, roots, nuts, man- 

 grove seeds, sharks, shell-fish, &c, &c, articles which they now 

 generally refuse. Amongst fish, they prefer the mullet, and one 

 day having placed a quantity of different species before them, they 

 helped themselves in the following order, observing that the first 

 took the best, the last got those which were most inferior : 

 Cliorinemus, Platycephalus, Horse-mackerel or Garanx, (Jhrysophrys 

 calamara, and lastly Tetrodon or frog-fish, which latter has gener- 

 ally the credit of being poisonous. They eat cats, but now spare 

 dogs, because they are found to be useful. 



Government instituted various Homes or places of shelter for 

 these aborigines, which many of them make their head quarters. It 

 is a principle wisely commenced, to induce them to cease plunder- 

 ing, and which has most undoubtedly had a very satisfactory effect. 

 But it is a mistake to suppose that they subsist on the food pro- 

 vided by Government, for the whole allowance is only 200 rupees 

 monthly to cover all expenses. In the year 1868-69, the following 

 were the earnings of the aborigines : 500 pigs, 150 turtles and 

 tortoises, 20 wild cats, 50 iguanas, and 6 dugongs, irrespective 

 of fish. The total number of rations given was 48,248, giving a daily 

 average of 132 persons, including women and" children, allowing 

 each individual only 9 pies daily, and showing an increase in those 

 fed of 14,57.") rations over the previous year, but with a decrease of 

 expenditure of Rupees 209-3-4, thus demonstrating them to have 

 been more self-supporting. Since the establishment of these homes, 

 a great change has been inaugurated, the convicts are left unmolest- 

 ed, Implements of agriculture are not stolen, the fishing stakes aro 

 left undisturbed, the gardens are no longer pillaged, run-away con- 

 victs have been re-captured, and shipwrecked sailors assisted. 





