TRINKAT
Beresford Channel--A Deserted Village--_Jheel_--Bird Life--
Wild Cattle--Scenery--Photographs--Port Registers--Tanamara--
Population--Customs--The Shom Pe[.n]--The Sequel to a Death--
Interior of the Houses.
Trinkat is a low, flat island about five miles long and one wide,
separated from Kamorta by the narrow strait in which we anchored. This
is much choked with coral-reefs, on which every now and then the sea
breaks unexpectedly in low waves which run along their edges throwing up
clouds of spray. Several villages, fronted by rows of streamer-decorated
poles, were in sight on the western shores, and further up the channel a
junk from Penang was anchored, the first we had seen. The island is
nowhere higher than 80 or 90 feet, and is superficially of limestone
formation--raised coral: the shores are fringed with jungle and coco
palms, while the latter are frequent also in the patches of jungle
occurring in the interior,[32] which, however, consists mainly of open
undulating grassy land.
We landed, after crossing the reef, near a couple of huts, built of palm
leaves and rough planks, that seemed deserted. A great number of pigs
were roaming about in company with dogs, fowls, and a cat. The huts were
surrounded for some distance by palm trees growing in thick scrub
undergrowth. A little way along a path we arrived at a small _jheel_, on
which were a diver and several whistling teal. Birds were numerous
amongst the trees, where parrots (_P. erythrogenys_) and pigeons dwelt
in flocks, and on the ground megapodes ran about calling to each other,
but were too well concealed, by the tall grass and bushes that grew
everywhere, for successful collecting. We got here the Nicobar
fly-catcher, in plumage of dark chestnut, with steely-black head, and
_Geocichla albigularis_, a pretty grey, olive and cinnamon thrush, a shy
bird that kept down on the ground or hid itself in low bushes. Out in
the open, amongst the grass, we found numbers of small warblers
(_Cisticola cisticola_), an occasional snipe or two, and flocks of
little button-quail (_Excalfactoria_(?), sp. nov.), while a herd of
about fifty semi-wild cattle roamed about, most of them descendants of a
number turned out here in '88, when the settlement at Nankauri was given
up. They suffer but little loss in numbers at the hands of the natives,
for the Government allows no guns in the islands, and it is only very
occasionally that a number of men will combine and slaughter a beast
with spears.
From the interior the scene was very beautiful; rolling grassy downs
were dotted with numerous dwarf pandanus trees (_P. furcatus_), amongst
which the cattle, black, white, and brown, moved slowly. All around was
thick jungle, through breaks in which the sea was visible on either
hand, and in the west, the sun, shining from behind a dark cloud,
painted the hills and harbour of Nankauri in tones of grey and gold. The
photographs which I took of this scenery were spoilt, thanks to a
liberty taken by the too inquisitive Chinese "boy," who privately
satisfied his curiosity as to the appearance of the plates before they
had been removed from the slides and developed.
In the evening the Government Agent, who is a native of India, came
across from the harbour and brought the Port Register, in which we
entered our arrival. These registers, bound in heavy brown leather,
stamped with the arms of the Indian Government, we were often to meet
with in future; one is in the possession of nearly every coast village
except those of Great Nicobar, and some of the remarks in them are very
interesting; others are equally amusing, as when some _Nakodah_, vain of
his proficiency in English, tries to express himself in that language,
to the utter bepuzzlement of any one who may come after and see what has
been written.
In crossing the island next day, I stampeded the cattle, who are rather
shy of any moving object, although later I was able to crawl to within
five or six yards of the herd, thus learning how simple a matter it
would be for the natives to exterminate it. In the interior there are
several deep ditches of running water leading into small swamps where
the cattle drink. The shore on the eastern side is formed in places by
small bluffs of clay marl, above which can be traced the overlying beds
of coral.
That afternoon, while preparing specimens, we received a visit from a
swarthy gentleman in a suit of white drill--the trousers "a world too
_long_," gracefully falling in concertina-like folds about his naked
ankles. He saluted us gravely, and tendered a small pocket-book. "What
is your name?" said we. "You will find it," said our dignified visitor,
"in the book." So the book was referred to, and he stood revealed as
Captain Tanamara, Headman of Malacca, recommended by Mr E. H. Man,[33]
as intelligent and willing to be useful to whoever should stop at
Nankauri Harbour. He is certainly more ingenious than the majority of
the natives, and speaks English, Hindustani, a little Burmese, Kar
Nicobarese, and Malay, which last indeed is known by most of the people
from here southwards.
The population, he told us, was decreasing: formerly each house was
occupied by a number of people, as is still the condition of things in
Kar Nicobar, but now there are at most three or four to a hut.[34] He
and many other men have no children, the usual number of which is but
one or two in each family. Occasional polygamy and easy arrangements for
divorce prevail here, and the custom of the husband residing at his
wife's house is also in vogue, but in the case of an influential man, or
a headman, it is otherwise. He was much interested in a kingfisher (_H.
occiputalis_) that was being skinned, and begged for the eyes, which, he
said, formed a valuable specific in cases of sleeplessness!
One of the most attractive features of the Nicobars is the existence of
a wild inland tribe--the Shom Pe[.n][35]--in the interior of the
southern island. These people are known by reputation all over the
group, and seem to fill the part of a national "bogey man." From
Tanamara, who has visited Great Nicobar in the station steamer, we
obtained a few details. He had never seen them, and owned with much
candour that he was "plenty 'fraid," and for that reason did not go on
shore. He told us, however, that they are similar in appearance to the
Nicobarese, but wear garments of rattan and bark only. They are friendly
until they see any article belonging to the coast people which they may
covet, and then a raid is made, and murder generally ensues in getting
possession of it.[36]
The abandoned condition of the houses near which we landed was caused by
a death which took place in one of them a short time previously. This
was followed by immediate desertion, which, however, is only temporary.
Everything going on seemed to have suddenly stopped; _daos_ were lying
on the floor, clothes hung from pegs in the walls, food, half-cooked,
still stood in the pots. The animals wandered about uncared-for, cats
and dogs in a very famished condition.
Inside this house was quite a small museum: there were large figures,
daubed with red and black paint, of men and women with eyes of pearl
shell, Polynesian fashion, and drapings of palm leaf and cotton; smaller
images and various grotesque heads, sharks, birds, and crocodiles, all
carefully carved, and painted in red and blue; painted turtle skulls by
the dozen. Spears, cross-bows, and water-vessels hung from the walls,
with boards on which were human figures, pigs, fish, fowls, and palm
trees, all very well drawn, and not conventionalised in design. On a
shelf above the fireplace were piles of wooden plates, dishes, and
food-baskets, and below them the big Chaura pots were standing on blocks
of stone above the ashes.[37]
We only obtained one megapode on Trinkat, and it was found in a trap.
They are probably numerous, for we saw several, and heard frequent
calls. The undergrowth is very thick, and the ground covered with tall
grass, and although to move about is easy, it is not easy to see these
birds until one is almost upon them, when they disappear before one can
get a shot. A few rats (_Mus burrus_, sp. nov.) were caught in the
traps, and we shot a few additional specimens, and this is the only
island we visited in the Nicobars where they seemed other than extremely
scarce.
[Illustration: "Scare-devil," or device for exorcising evil spirits.]