170 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society . [June, 



and it began to be very evident that unless some hold were obtain- 

 ed over the tribes, all works must cease. It was proposed to issue 

 a general amnesty, especially as the chiefs were becoming very 

 irate, and without their controlling power the tribes were found 

 to be most hostile, plundering everything they could lay their 

 hands on. In the month of December this amnesty was carried 

 into effect, and then to a great extent the chiefs began to keep the 

 people in order. However the aborigines continued to be very sus- 

 picious, imagining that in their being treated at Boss, they were 

 sorts of hostages, and used frequently to request to be taken over to 

 the mainland, as they were not permitted to swim over, because they 

 took more property with them, than they had a legal claim to. One 

 day the whole forty asked to go, and finding no objection was raised, 

 they returned after a few days on a bamboo raft and became quiet. 



In May, 1866, the Home was removed to the mainland as the 

 junglees' presence was not considered any longer to be desirable. 

 In November of this year, the murderer Jim was released, the 

 tribes promising in future to try and stop murders, and to disconti- 

 nue the use of war bows and arrows. Some of them were taken to 

 see an execution, and it was explained to them, that that was the 

 manner we treated murderers, and they at once expressed their 

 intention of refraining from murders in future. In 1868-69, they, 

 apprehended fourteen convicts from the Punjab and two Burmans 

 who had escaped, and also brought in some shipwrecked mariners. 



My first interview with the people was on January 9th, 1870, at 

 North bay where I went with Mr. Homfray to look for them 

 and induce their coming fishing. The sea was rather high, and it 

 was not until 11 a. m. that we discovered one of their canoes, con-' 

 taining two of these people. We pulled for the place, they, how- 

 ever, had landed and made their boat fast. It will be difficult to 

 forget their appearance. There sat on the stumps of trees two lads, 

 destitute of clothing. They had some ornaments made of fibre 

 around their heads, and strings like garters below the right 

 knee. As for inducing them to move, they simply declined, 

 observing they were waiting for more of the tribe ; however, they 

 pointed out where the encampment was. 



