l(i& Proceeding* of the Asiatic Society. [June, 



changing from the little to the index digit, they gradually aug- 

 ment its size as desired. When turtles are scarce, a large net is 

 used, this is attached to stakes which encircle the whole of a reef 

 to which those animals resort for food. Just before the tide com- 

 mences to ebb, they fix the net, thus penning in all the turtles 

 which may be there at the time, but which fight most desperately 

 to break out of the enclosure ; the Andamanese now use spears 

 to secure them, and as a rule but few escape. 



Their bows and arrows are mostly employed for shooting fish in 

 shallow water, the upper two-thirds of the arrow is a light reed, 

 the lower portion a heavier sort of wood armed with a piece of 

 iron, or a sharp nail. Major Haughtonin 1862 observed, in the 

 Proceedings of this Journal, upon the flint arrow heads having been 

 employed by them for shooting fish, and some such fashioned pieces 

 of flint are still found amongst their heaps ; but the aborigines do 

 not recollect when these articles were so employed, they, however, 

 remember their being in use for shaving and tattooing. 



It will not be amiss in this place to take a slight retrospect con- 

 cerning the origin of the " Homes," which are now kept up for the 

 Andamanese. When these islands were taken re-possession of in 

 1857, doubtless the aborigines caused great trouble. Convicts, 

 who ran away, were killed, as were also others who were felling 

 the jungles, for these savages move about so stealthily, that scarce- 

 ly a bough moves, nor does a leaf rustle. They are excellent 

 trackers and thus ascertain the number of persons that have 

 passed, and judge pretty accurately how long it is since they 

 passed. 



They helped themselves to the implements employed in felling 

 timber, they used convicts' leg irons for spears, and nails for arrow- 

 heads, they had no scruple as to how they were obtained. Conse- 

 quently their vicinity led to insecurity, to the prevention of works 

 of clearance being carried on, to garden cultivation being extended, 

 to the prevention of bamboos being obtained from the jungles, 

 to the plundering of the fishing-stakes, and the settlement suffered 

 accordingly. 



At first hostages were taken from the tribes, some of whom were 

 kept in irons in the convict settlement, a plan which does not ap- 



