178 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [June, 



chipping off flakes of glass from a bottle with a quartz pebble. It 

 took some time till a suitable flake was obtained, for the purpose of 

 shaving. He was also informed by Mr. Homfray, that the 

 Andamanese still perfectly understand the manufacture of flint 

 flakes, and drew the attention of the meeting to the great interest 

 attached to the execution of this art, of which geological researches 

 give daily proofs that it has been once in practice more or less 

 almost throughout the whole world. The very simple form of huts 

 does not appear to prevail throughout the islands, for Mr. Ball 

 was informed by Capt. Duncan that on Little Andaman the houses 

 were of a bee-hive shape, resembling those of the Nicobarese, only 

 much larger and not elevated from the ground. In conclusion Mr. 

 Ball quoted passages from Mr. Wallace's Malay Archipelago, 

 in which the author says that the Nigritos inhabiting the Andaman 

 islands " had in all probability an Asiatic rather than a Polynesian 

 origin." 



Besides the general account of his visit, Mr. Ball submitted 

 11 Notes on the Geology and the Ornithology near Port Blair" 

 which, it is hoped, will be published in the Journal. 



III. — A short list of Andamanese Test ivords, — by P. A. de E 6 e p- 

 stor f f, Esq., Extra Asst. Supdt., Port Blair. 



The words noted in the present list are taken from the dialect 

 spoken by the Andamanese tribe at Port Blair. They are very few, 

 but the Andamanese are mostly kept very carefully away from all 

 communication with Europeans, and it is not easy to procure even 

 all the essential words, though some of those now submitted may 

 assist a visitor to Port Blair. 



For the words marked with an * I am indebted to Mr. H o m- 

 f r ay, the protector of the Andamanese. 



a. is pronounced as in the word bar. 

 e. „ „ „ better, 



i. „ „ „ bill. 



Arrow (for fish), ra-ta. 



Arrow (for killing pigs), i-a-la-da. 



bad, ja-bag-da. 



belly, jo-do-da. 



