of Edinburgh, Session 1879 - 80 . 
419 
firmer, and restrain the mechanical distension of the belly. With the 
women it is different ; these latter influences do not exist, and when 
the child-bearing period comes the abdominal enlargement is aug- 
mented. The women also undergo exceptional enlargement in the 
gluteal region, the appearance of which is enhanced by their custom 
of attaching branches of twigs to their waist-bands, so as to hang 
over this region. This large development of abdomen, hip, and 
buttock, added to a very “ waddling ” style of gait, gives these 
women in progression a most grotesque appearance. They mostly 
possess considerable mammary development, and the glands in many 
instances seem to be in a chronic state of functional activity. This 
may be due to the late period to which they suckle their young 
(even to three and four years), or to another purpose to which the 
milk is applied, and to which I shall afterwards advert. 
The Andamanese are strictly monogamous. The men marry at 
about eighteen years of age, and the women at any age after twelve, 
generally about thirteen or fourteen years. The number of children 
born to each pair is two or three, seldom more ; with the women, 
from seventeen to twenty-five would seem to be the most fruitful 
period, and it is remarkable how aged the women become in appear- 
ance after having had one or two children. Labour with these 
women is a very simple business. They do their usual work until the 
actual commencement of the pains, and resume it very shortly after 
it is over. Two hours seems to be a fair allowance of time for an 
Andamanese woman to be delivered in. 
The thinking powers of these people is not so much deficient as 
it is limited by their imperfect dialect. Thus, they have no concep- 
tion of number beyond five, which they count by the fingers of one 
hand successively touching the nose. As a result they cannot ex- 
press periods of time, and thus none of them know their own age. 
The latter can only be guessed at by their physical development 
and comparison with others of known age. Their ideas and dialect, 
in the crude state, are very imperfect. They can only reason about, 
and express ideas on the most tangible objects. Hence it is a matter 
of considerable difficulty to obtain their ideas on anything else, even 
by the aid of a fluent interpreter. Their ideas on things abstract 
are probably none, or are impossible to get at. On the above subject 
I have been careful to endeavour to get the views of the pure savage, 
vol x. 3 E 
