MACPHERSON STRAIT--SOUTH ANDAMAN AND RUTLAND ISLAND
Gunboat Tours--South Andaman--Rutland Island--Navigation--
Landing-place--Native Camp--Natives--Jungle--Birds--Appearance
of the Natives--Our Guests--Native Women: Decorations and Absurd
Appearance--Trials of Photography--The Village--Food--Bows,
Arrows, and Utensils--Barter--_Coiffure_--Fauna--Water--New
Species.
After leaving Port Blair, where we got up anchor at half-past three in
the morning to make the most of a light breeze, we sailed slowly along
the coast of South Andaman, until, rounding the point of the south-east
corner, we came to anchor in Macpherson Strait.
Just outside the port we met the R.I.M.S. _Elphinstone_ returning from a
census-taking visit to the Nicobars; three or four times a year she
makes a ten days' trip round the group, stopping at a few of the more
important places; and these cruises are almost the only thing that
brings home to the natives the fact that they are under the British raj.
For some distance south of the Settlement the land consists of
undulating grassy hills, dotted with coco palms, and streaked by
gullies, in which dark clumps of jungle still remain. It is an ideal
country for game, and some years ago hog-deer were introduced; but,
although they have multiplied, they are very rarely seen, and have
afforded but little sport.
Nearer the strait, the hills by the coast are still covered with forest;
and between the stretches of sandy shore at their feet grow luxuriant
thickets of mangroves.
Rutland Island, rising on the east in tall precipitous cliffs, on the
north slopes gently to the strait, which on both sides is bordered by
alternate tracts of yellow beach and bright green mangrove.
We hauled round Bird's Nest Cape--a bare rocky headland of serpentine,
still producing those edible delicacies which are responsible for the
name--and, with a man aloft to con a passage along the coral-reef,
carefully avoided a rock near mid-channel, and took up a berth in quiet
waters about a mile from the entrance of the strait.
When sailing along little known shores, especially in the tropics, a
look-out man should always be stationed at the masthead, for from that
place dangers of reef and rock unnoticed from the deck are plainly
visible. Year by year coral-reefs increase, and banks alter so greatly
that entire reliance cannot be placed on the chart, even though it be of
comparatively recent date.
We landed on South Andaman in a little bay, whose waters lapped a beach
of golden sand. It was, as usual, nearly filled with coral, but
fortunately the tide was never so low that we could not land directly on
the shore. To left and right the land rose in gentle hills, on the one
hand forest, and on the other grass-clothed, but beyond the centre,
where it was flat, lay an expanse of tangled swamp.
Although their tracks, made since the last high tide, ran all along the
beach, we saw no natives then or later; but just within the bush we
found an old camping-place--cold ashes, heaps of broken shells, and a
dilapidated hut about 6 feet square and high, made of light branches
stuck in the ground, with tops drawn together and covered with a few
palm leaves laid stem downwards.
That night a fire shone brightly on the beach of Rutland Island; and so
next morning, while Abbott in the dinghy went north to make the round of
the traps, I, with a crew in the whaleboat, rowed across the strait, and
when we were within two or three hundred yards of the shore, a tall
native ran down the beach and commenced waving a flag on the end of a
long pole.
As the sea was pounding heavily on the reef, a couple of men were left
in the boat to keep it off shore, and the rest of us, jumping overboard,
waded to the beach. Two or three other natives now arrived, and we
showed our good intentions by slapping them on their backs, with broad
grins, to the latter part of which process they responded most heartily.
It was too early in the day to get to work with the camera, so, after
fetching my gun from the boat, I struck into the jungle and spent an
hour with the more clothed of its inhabitants.
The jungle was of the kind that may perhaps be best described as forest:
that is to say, it was fairly free from the usual superabundance of
rattans, lianas, and all those creeping growths which close the
intervals among the trees with a thorny network of vegetation, and
compel the intruder to go where he can and not where he will. Mighty
trees towered upwards, branches interlacing and shutting out the sun,
while down below, in the aisles of tree-trunks, stood the smaller
brethren and the saplings, waiting the fall of some neighbouring giant
to give them in turn room to lift their branches towards the light.
Little blue fly-catchers, utterly fearless, flitted about in the lower
bushes, and, higher up, golden-billed grackles hopped or flew from
branch to branch, their loud clear whistles resounding through the
forest, whilst from the tops of the biggest trees came the deep "boom,
boom," of the great fruit-pigeons. However, although birds were fairly
numerous, I got but few prizes--best among them, perhaps, a pretty
little olive-green and yellow minivet (_Pericrocrotus andamanensis_),
and a black racquet-tailed drongo (_Dissemuroides andamanensis_), a bird
whose flight, as its long tail feathers stretch out behind, is extremely
graceful, and who possessed one of the sweetest combination of notes
heard in the jungle.
With such specimens in my bag, I presently came on a little stream, and
after following its course to the sea, tramped along the shore, and so
came back once more to the boat.
A large fire had been made on the beach, and near it, in spite of the
hot sun, the men sat fraternising with the members of the native
party--five men and boys, three women, and three children.
In this little company there proved to be the three biggest men we saw
among the Andamanese; in height, they stood 5 feet 4-3/4 inches, 5 feet
3-1/4 inches, and 5 feet 2 inches respectively.[10] Although possibly a
little weak proportionately in the legs, where the skin covering the
knee was so thickened and corrugated as to almost resemble callosities,
the members of the party were well built and not ungraceful, but spoilt
in most cases by a varying degree of distension of the abdomen: this
state of things is caused by the immense amount of food they will, when
possible, consume at a sitting; but the striking appearance of the
eldest matron of the tribe was a more or less temporary feature,
principally due to the interesting condition in which she was.
It was a pleasure to photograph these people, for they submitted to the
operation most docilely; and when, after taking a series of pictures, I
gave a graphic invitation to breakfast--pointing to my mouth, and
rubbing that portion of the figure situated in the middle front--the men
of the party all accepted the offer, and, reinforced by them, we
returned to the _Terrapin_.
Arrived on board, they were at first rather inquisitive, but after
inspecting the schooner and spending a little time below watching us at
work, they went forward, and seemed quite comfortable amongst the men.
As soon as it could be prepared, a large pailful of boiled rice was
placed before them, and this was finished without any sign of flagging
being shown. What a convenience the absence of tight clothing must be at
such times!
The next few hours were passed by them lying on deck in the sun, where,
out of regard for their feelings, we left them undisturbed, except for
the few moments during which they were measured. To a second bucket of
rice, offered before they left, they failed to do proper justice, but
took what remained ashore, where the women probably had their share.
We ran across the strait under canvas, before a light breeze, and the
sail was a source of huge amusement to all but the youngest of the
party, who was intermittently busied in returning to daylight all the
food he had previously consumed.
Following what seems a wide-spread custom, the ladies ashore, had, to
some extent, got themselves up for the reception of visitors. Although
the previous dress--a small bunch of grass slung from the waist by a
cord--fulfilled all requirements, they were now further decorated with
an almost complete coating of ochreous clay, through which black eyes,
nose, and lips showed below a bald pate with ludicrous effect. The
babies, too, had been glorified in the same manner, and we felt quite
bashful and shabby in our old pyjamas.
So absurdly comical did they appear, that it was only by much
perseverance I was able to photograph them again, for whenever I
attempted to adjust the focus, the picture on the screen gave rise to
such fits of laughter that the camera was in danger of being upset. Even
the boat's crew, unemotional Malays as they were, lay about, doubled up
in paroxysms of laughter, which, increased by the looks of wonder and
the ingenuous smiles with which my subjects persisted in regarding us,
continued until the point of sheer exhaustion was reached. The old lady
of the party and myself became great friends, and when on our departure
I presented her with my handkerchief (all that I then had left) as a
souvenir of our visit--as I gravely tied it about her head, I am sure we
made an impressive picture.
The huts, or _chang_, were four in number, and stood side by side just
within the jungle, with the fronts facing inland. On a sloping framework
of thin branches, raised about 4 feet at the upper edge, and covering a
piece of ground 6 feet square, were laid sufficient palm leaves to make
a rain-proof shelter. The front and sides were left completely
unprotected, the earth below was covered with more palm leaves, and a
small fire was burning on the ground below an upper corner of each roof.
The only food they appeared to be supplied with was obtained from the
large trees beneath which the camp stood--a small round fruit with a
green skin, and a pleasantly-flavoured pulpy flesh; a large quantity of
dark-coloured beeswax was lying about, so honey was probably plentiful
and easily obtained.
By signs, we gave the men to understand that we wished to purchase bows
and arrows, and while these were being produced from some hiding-place
in the jungle, whither the natives requested us not to accompany them,
the women and children regaled themselves with a parcel of sugar which
had been brought for their special benefit.
We eagerly bought up all visible belongings that could be carried off.
Among these were small pots made from the joints of the giant bamboo,
conical baskets of rattan fibre, and large buckets carved from solid
wood, any cracks being sewn up with rattan and luted with wax; all these
were furnished with slings for ease in carrying.
The bows were not of the kind regarded as typical of the Andamanese, but
are fashioned in the style to which we are accustomed at home, with this
peculiarity--that instead of the rounded side or "belly" being nearest
the string, it is away from the archer when the weapon is held ready for
use. They are about 5 feet long, and of a material resembling rosewood;
the tips are cut away, so as to leave a shoulder for the string to rest
on, and below these points the bow is whipped for an inch with fine
cord. The string is of twisted fibre, with a loop at either end, made by
taking a half-hitch and then twisting in the loose end for a short
distance.
Arrows have the shaft of bamboo, to which is attached a long point of
hard wood, and the joint is whipped. Some of the arrows used for
fishing are triple-headed. A fairly deep notch is made to receive the
bowstring, and the butt of the arrow is tightly scored transversely,
with the idea of affording a better grip. The lengths varied from 45 to
66 inches.
While being strung, the bow is held almost vertically, with one end
resting on the ground. A foot is then placed on the centre, and the
upper end drawn towards the operator until the loop can be slipped over
it.
The pull used may be anything between 50 and 60 lbs., and though in the
jungle, with their silent step and quality of remaining unseen, the
Andamanese are dangerous as enemies, in the open they would be less
formidable, for it is doubtful whether their arrows will carry more than
a hundred yards, and certainly their shooting, as we ourselves saw,
possessed little accuracy at more than a quarter of that distance.
In return for the various articles obtained, we gave an axe, a _parang_,
a file, a number of long French nails, and a quantity of red cotton,
with which things they seemed very satisfied; and we left behind, as a
parting gift, a good supply of rice and leaf tobacco.
The dress of the women I have already described: their heads were bald,
entirely shaved of hair. The men were only partially cropped, and what
hair was left was short, and had much the appearance of a small
skull-cap. Those who were ornamented with clay had applied it in long
stripes down arms and body, and across the face, while for further
decoration some wore a cord about the waist, or armlets of fibre tightly
fastened round the biceps.
We found the shores of South Andaman a splendid locality for collecting.
One morning in particular I remember. On landing we saw all about the
beach the tracks of numerous pigs that had come down in the night to
obtain a meal of the trepang, crabs, and molluscs left exposed by the
ebb tide; and I had not been five minutes ashore before I knocked over
an equal number of beautiful parrots (_P. faciatus_), a species we found
everywhere very common throughout the Andamans.
A little group of coco palms, in a corner of the bay, marks a spring
from which we obtained good water, and adjacent stood a small leafless
tree, whose branches, however, bore quantities of a brilliant red
blossom (_Ixora_, sp.?). To this came birds in such numbers that I
remained beneath it all the morning. Here I obtained our first specimens
of the Andaman sun-bird, a tiny thing with olive back, blue throat, and
yellow breast, and also one of the most beautiful of kingfishers
(_Halcyon saturatior_), a glorious combination of bright chestnut,
white, and vivid blues that one could never tire of admiring. Common was
the little crested bulbul, clothed in black and white, with crimson
ear-coverts, and equally so the brilliant-plumaged oriole, while the
sleek-looking Andaman myna, soberly feathered in black and white,
occurred in no small numbers. Indeed, birds came and went so quickly,
that I was often hard put to it to select the proper cartridge, and
frequently three or four specimens at a time lay waiting to be stowed
away in the game bag.
Time and place combined to make a naturalist's paradise, and I did not
desist from collecting until my stock of wool, paper, and ammunition
were exhausted. It must not be thought, however, that such an experience
is in any way common, for it is seldom that the work is so easy or the
harvest so large.
Amongst the birds obtained on South Andaman was a pigeon that has since
proved to be new (_Osmotreron_, sp. nov.); while, as far as mammals were
concerned, rats of two species--one hitherto unrecorded, _Mus
taciturnus_, sp. nov., and _M. andamanensis_--were fairly common; and we
were fortunate in obtaining a palm-civet, of the species peculiar to the
islands, which for several nights had been committing depredations along
the line of traps; and also a single example of a new shrew (_Crocidura
andamanensis_).