170 
THE ANDAMAN GEOUP. 
Captain Stokoe, one of tlie military officers in cKarge . 
of the settleinentj appears to have eotertained a very 
kindly feeling towards the natives, and there can be 
little doubt that if the settlement had been maintained, a 
good understanding would ultimately have been estab- 
Ushed between them and their visitors. 
" Captain Stokoe, who constantly resided on the island, 
diBappointed in his attempts to establish a social inter- 
course, endeavoured to alleviate their wants by sending, 
as often as circumstances wonld admit, small supplies of 
victuala to their huts, which were always abandoned on 
the approach of his people, but resorted to again when 
they had withdrawn/'* 
This is the only effectual method yet discovered of 
taming savages like those of the Andamans. "WTien once 
they become accustomed to regular supphes of food, 
however small the quantities, they refrain from offending 
those at whose hands they obtain this assistance j and 
they will even take up arms to prevent others of their race 
from doin^ so. To Captain Stokoe is due the merit of 
having struck out a system wbicb has subsequently been 
pursued with eminent success by Captain MacAi-thur, 
the Commandant at Port Essington, and has led to the 
breaking up of that establishment being looked upon by 
the natives as a national calamity. 
Captain Stokoe estimates the entii'c population of the 
Andaman Group at from 2,000 to 2,500, and the extent 
of coast could scarcely be capable of supporting a 
larger amount of inhabitants, where they derived their 
• STOies. "Embassy to Ava." vol 1, p. 311. 
