PORT BLAIR
We enter the Harbour--Surveillance--Ross Island Pastimes--Visit
the Chief Commissioner--The Harbour--Cellular Jail--Lime
Kilns--Phoenix Bay--Hopetown--Murder of Lord Mayo--Chatham
Island--Haddo and the Andamanese--Tea Gardens--Viper Island and
Jail--The Convicts--Occupations--Punishments--Troops--Departure.
A fresh breeze from the north raised an army of dancing white-caps on
the sea, as, rolling along with the wind astern, we made the run to Port
Blair in about seven hours.
Easily picking up the Settlement while some distance off, on account of
its proximity to Mount Harriet--a pointed hill rising about 1200
feet--we came to anchor to the south of the jetty inside Ross Island,
and were immediately boarded by one of the native police--a
representative of which body was always on board during the day
throughout our stay. This measure is taken to see that the crews of
vessels in the harbour hold no communication with the convicts, and also
for the prevention of smuggling.
Soon afterwards the doctor and port officer came aboard: both these
gentlemen seemed at first to regard us with some suspicion, and indeed
by this time, more than two months out from port, we were certainly a
rather ruffianly looking party.
The island of Ross is situated at the mouth of the harbour, and tends
greatly towards its protection. It is hilly, about 200 acres in area,
and is divided into two almost equal parts by a wall running east and
west across it; the southern portion is occupied by the barracks of the
convicts, and the other contains the headquarters of the Settlement.
On the summit stands the pleasant-looking residence of the Chief
Commissioner; the church, and the barracks (architecturally modelled on
Windsor Castle) for European troops; both the latter built of a handsome
brown stone quarried on the mainland. Below these come the mess,
containing a fine library and some beautiful examples of wood-carving
executed by Burmese convicts; then the brown-roofed bungalows of the
Settlement officers, all bowered in tropic foliage, amongst which
graceful palms and traveller's trees stand prominently forth; and lower
still, near the sea, are the treasury, commissariat stores, and other
Government buildings. The whole place--in itself of much natural
beauty--is kept in most perfect condition by a practically unlimited
supply of convict labour.
At first sight, it seemed an altogether delightful spot to find in such
an isolated corner of the earth; but its melancholy aspect is quickly
and forcibly brought home to one by a visit to the jail on Viper Island,
and by the continuous presence of the convicts, who are rendered
conspicuous by their fetters, or neck-rings, supporting the numbered
badges by which the wearers are distinguished.
As usual with our countrymen, "when two or three are gathered together"
in distant portions of the world, plentiful facilities for outdoor
amusements have come into being. There are cricket and tennis
grounds--the latter both concrete and grass--near which a band of
convicts discourses very fair music several times a week. There is a
sailing club too, and nearly every Saturday throughout the year races
for a challenge cup are held in the breezy harbour, at which a score of
various craft are often found competing; and the Volunteer Rifle Corps
has some thirty members, who compete with gun and revolver for a
numerous list of prizes and trophies. Good salt-water fishing is to be
had with the rod, for fish in great variety are everywhere abundant; and
on the mainland, near Aberdeen, golf and hockey are played.
With all this, it is probable that the gentler sex find things somewhat
dull at times, for shopping, in the feminine sense of the word, is
impossible. There are no shops, and the wants of the community are
supplied by a co-operative store, at which, it is reported, in more than
one year recently, articles have been sold at a price considerably under
cost. Besides this, there is only the native bazaar, which is, of
course, ubiquitous in the East.
Before visiting the Nicobars, it is necessary for all vessels to obtain
a permit, so, in duty bound, we called one morning on the Chief
Commissioner, and to him we are indebted for much information that
became valuable in the next few months.
Colonel Temple, who takes much interest in the natives of his district,
particularly from a philological standpoint, possesses a very complete
ethnological collection of Andamanese and Nicobarese articles, and an
aviary containing a great number of the birds inhabiting the two groups
of islands. All these objects we were fortunate enough to see, and so
gained at the outset a very good idea of those things we were so anxious
to obtain specimens of for ourselves.
One morning, in the company of Mr P. Vaux, acting port officer, we made
a delightful tour round the harbour in one of the Government launches.
Port Blair is a long, ragged indentation, about seven miles from head to
mouth, broken and diversified by numerous little bays and promontories.
The shores--intersected by numerous roads--are almost entirely cleared
from jungle, and since they have been in this condition, fever has been
practically unknown amongst the European community.
Passing first close by the suburb of Aberdeen, which is on the mainland
just opposite Ross, we obtained a good view of the Cellular Jail, a huge
building of red-brown bricks, with long arms--three storeys in
height--stretching from a common centre like the rays of a starfish. It
has been built almost entirely from local resources, and with local
establishment and labour, and holds 663 cells and the accompanying jail
buildings. Here each newcomer is incarcerated in solitude for six
months, with the double intention of such confinement acting both as a
moral sedative and a warning of what may happen again if his behaviour
is not satisfactory in future.
We steamed along past the brickfields; the kilns, where, from the raw
coral, lime is manufactured; but as the salt cannot be thoroughly washed
out, and subsequently effloresces from the mortar, the result is a
rather inferior quality.
At Phoenix Bay, a little farther up the harbour, where we landed to
inspect the shipyard and workshops, are sheds fitted up with apparatus
for blacksmiths and latheworkers, carpenters and woodcarvers, where
occupation is provided for more than 600 skilled workmen. The numerous
boats one sees passing to and fro in the harbour are built here, for the
shipyard can undertake anything from a 250-ton lighter or 70-feet
steam-launch down to a half--rater or the smallest dinghy. The materials
for construction are close to hand, since the woods used (_padouk_ for
the planking and _pyimma_ for frames) are obtained from the neighbouring
forests.
Some years ago Phoenix Bay was a swamp, but now large, brick, steam
workshops and wooden sheds of the marine yard, in which the lighters and
launches are constructed and repaired, stand on the land reclaimed; and
connected with these is a slipway, one of the largest in India, that is
entirely of local construction--the whole of the ironwork of the
carriage, rails, wheels, and ratchet, having been cast on the spot.
Almost opposite Phoenix Bay, the station of Hopetown, conspicuous by
its aqueduct, stands on the northern shore. It was here that in 1872
Lord Mayo, the most popular of Indian Viceroys, was murdered by a
fanatical prisoner.
The Viceroy had visited Mount Harriet in order to judge of its
suitability as a sanatorium, and had just finished the descent. "... The
ships' bells had just rung seven; the launch, with steam up, was
whizzing at the jetty stairs; a group of her seamen were chatting on the
pierhead. It was now quite dark, and the black line of the jungle seemed
to touch the water's edge. The party passed some large loose stones to
the left of the head of the pier, and advanced along the jetty, two
torchbearers in front ... and the Viceroy stepped quickly forward before
the rest to descend the stairs to the launch. The next moment the people
in the rear heard a noise, as of 'the rush of some animal,' from behind
the loose stones; one or two saw a hand and a knife suddenly descend in
the torch-light. The private secretary heard a thud, and instantly
turning round, found a man 'fastened like a tiger' on the back of the
Viceroy. In a second, twelve men were on the assassin; an English
officer was pulling them off, and with his sword hilt keeping back the
native guards, who would have killed the assailant on the spot. The
torches had gone out; but the Viceroy, who had staggered over the pier
side, was dimly seen rising up in the knee-deep water and clearing the
hair off his brow with his hand, as if recovering himself. His private
secretary was instantly by his side in the surf, helping him up the
bank. 'Burne,' he said quietly, 'they've hit me.' Then in a louder
voice, which was heard on the pier--'I'm all right, I don't think I'm
much hurt,' or words to that effect. In another minute he was sitting
under the smoky glare of the re-lit torches, on a rude native cart at
the side of the jetty, his legs hanging loosely down. Then they lifted
him bodily out of the cart, and saw a great dark patch on the back of
his light coat. The blood came streaming out, and the men tried to
stanch it with their handkerchiefs. For a moment or two he sat up in the
cart, then he fell heavily backwards. 'Lift up my head,' he said
faintly; and said no more."[8]
Leaving Phoenix Bay, we steamed past Chatham Island, where the
sawmills are situated, and where a number of hospital convalescents are
kept busy with the easy task of manufacturing rope and mats from the
coir prepared in Viper Jail. On the approach of a hurricane, vessels in
port proceed up harbour and anchor above this island, where they are
secure from all danger.
Our next stopping-place was at Haddo, where we visited the Andamanese in
their Homes, and out on the water saw a number of natives fishing from
canoes.
The sheds in which the aborigines are domiciled are substantial
structures of attap, standing near the sea in the shade of coco palms.
We found present eight or nine women, and twice that number of men and
boys, who, on catching sight of our advance, ran out of doors to meet
us. Two or three babies present were carried by the mothers in a broad
band suspended from forehead or shoulder. The first thought that flashed
into one's mind on perceiving them, with their small stature, sooty
skins, and frizzly hair, was that here were a number of juvenile negroes
("niggers"): they are, however, far better-looking than that people, and
some of the women might almost be called pretty, even when judged from a
European standpoint.
For clothing, the men wore breech-clouts of red cotton, and strings of
beads or small shells about the neck: the ornaments of the women
consisted of similar necklaces, and several girdles of beads or bark, in
the lowest of which a green leaf was inserted, by way of apron. The hair
of the women was slightly shorter than the men's, but worn in a similar
fashion--all but a circular patch on the top of the head, like a
skull-cap, was shaved away, and this was often divided by a broad band
of bare skin running from back to front. Chest and back were covered
with skin decoration of the cicatrice type, which, healing without any
tendency to keloid, left a smooth mark, distinguished by its lustre only
from the normal surface. Many had smeared themselves with fat, which
gave the skin a very shiny appearance.
The bows carried were of the recurved paddle type that attains its
greatest development in the Andamans,[9] and the arrows were armed with
formidable iron points and barbs: the heads of these are detachable, and
are connected with a shaft by a short cord of fibre, which is wound
about the arrow by twisting the head in its socket. These arrows are
used in shooting pig, and of course much impede the escape of any
animal, by the shaft disengaging from the head and catching in the
undergrowth of the jungle. The bows were constructed of white wood, and
handled with the recurved end downward.
The foreheads of some of the women were daubed with white clay, and one,
in addition to a quantity of coral ornaments, wore suspended from her
neck a human skull daubed with red earth. This, however, is not, as was
long supposed, a sign of conjugal mourning, for any of the relatives or
intimate friends of a deceased person are qualified to wear his
disinterred bones, and the skull often passes round amongst a
considerable number of people.
We were agreeably surprised at the appearance of the natives, as they
were clean, pleasant-looking, and merry, apparently somewhat childish in
disposition, and much given to chatter and laughter.
On leaving, we flung a number of small coins amongst them, and these
were scrambled for with great noise and excitement.
The Homes are occupied from time to time only by the natives, who are
allowed to go and come as they please, and while dwelling in them are
supplied with provisions. Love of the jungle, and the life to which they
are born, is so deeply rooted in the aborigines, that although they
occupy the sheds intermittently for varying periods, few have been found
who are sufficiently attracted by the neighbouring civilisation to
become permanent residents.
As we proceeded up the harbour we caught a glimpse, at the head of Navy
Bay, of the tea gardens which have for some time been established there.
The product is very coarse and strong, and finds favour with the
European troops in India, and with the Madras Army.
Lastly we came to Viper Island, which has been not inappropriately
christened "Hell," for in Viper Jail are kept the very worst of the
prisoners in the Settlement, and it must not be forgotten that here are
collected the scum of the whole immense Indian Empire and of Burma as
well. No one is sent to the islands who has less than seven years to
serve, and many here, perhaps, are those, who, but for some flaw in the
evidence which convicted them, might long ago have paid the last penalty
for their crimes.
Viper Island is elevated in parts with a somewhat broken surface, and
the Jail, with its grey-and-white walls, standing among a group of
trees, shows picturesquely from the summit of a hill. A number of
convicts are confined to the island, besides those in the prison, and to
accommodate them barracks have been erected in various spots.
We landed on a jetty, and, passing by the guardhouse at its foot, soon
climbed the little hill, on the top of which the prison is situated.
First, and grimmest sight of all, came the condemned cells and the
gallows, and then we passed--accompanied by a guard of police--through
room after room full of men reclining on slabs of masonry. The shackled
inmates of these wards, who rose unwillingly with clanking irons at the
word of command, are under the control of promoted convicts made
responsible for their behaviour. The effect of our entrance varied with
different individuals; some, apparently apathetic and sullen, took no
notice whatever, while others seemed to evince the liveliest curiosity.
As the day of our visit was a Sunday, no work was being done: all the
inmates were undisturbed, save a few whose heads were being cropped, and
some convalescents receiving their midday ration--a _chapati_, and an
ample portion of coarse boiled rice.
The scope allowed for employment in the prison is somewhat limited, for,
while the work must be of sufficient severity to act as a punishment, it
must of necessity be of such a nature that the tools accessory to it are
not of a kind that can be used by those handling them in an attack on
jailers or fellow-prisoners. Among the tasks set are coir-pounding, in
which a certain quantity must be produced and made into bundles every
day: the heavy mallets used are fastened, for safety, by a short lanyard
to the beam on which the husk is broken up. Again, oil has to be
expressed from a given weight of _copra_ by pounding the material in
iron mortars with unwieldy wooden pestles. Wool-teasing is yet another
form of occupation.
Besides the wards, there are a number of cells for solitary confinement;
some of these were occupied by prisoners suspected of malingering,
others by those awaiting punishment.
This last, of course, takes various forms, from--for instance--the dark
cell, where an offender may be incarcerated for twenty-four hours, to
castigation with a rattan, in which, it is said, the maximum sentence of
thirty strokes can be applied so severely as to be fatal to the
recipient. Lastly, of course, comes execution by hanging, which is
inflicted in the case of those prisoners, who, being already under
severe sentence, attempt the lives of their fellows, their warders, or
the officials of the Settlement.
The transportation of European offenders is now discontinued, but a
large number of female convicts are engaged mainly in turning the wool
prepared in Viper Jail into blankets.
Caste--a most important point in connection with people of India--is
carefully respected, and the Brahmin prisoners are nearly all employed
as cooks.
The majority of the convicts are from the Indian Peninsula, and are
resident for life. Of the Burmese, however, the greater part are serving
sentences of ten years, for engaging too recklessly in the national
pastime of dacoity, and many of them are employed in the jungle and as
boatmen.
To maintain discipline, and for the protection of the Settlement, a
military force of about 440 men is stationed at Aberdeen, Ross, and
Viper--two companies of European and four of native troops--and a
battalion of military police.
After leaving Viper Island we returned to the headquarters of the
Settlement, where next day we left behind the last post of civilisation
met with, until three months later we reached Olehleh, the most
northerly of the Dutch colonies in Acheen.