CARNICOBAR.
“A HANDSOME SISTER, WITH A MAT FOR A PETTICOAT[11].”
1822, _October_.—Appearance and Attire of the
Islanders—Canoes—Visit to their Village—Ornaments of the
Natives—Departure from the Island—The Andamans—Anchorage at
Saugor—The Hoogly—Arrival in Calcutta.
The island where we landed was covered to the edge of the sand of the
shore with beautiful trees; scarcely an uncovered or open spot was to
be seen. Off the ship the village appeared to consist of six or eight
enormous bee-hives, erected on poles and surrounded by high trees; among
these, the cocoa-nut, to an English eye, was the most remarkable.
[Illustration: CAR NICOBAR.
_On Stone by Major Parlby. From an original drawing by Col.ˡ J. Luard._]
The ship was soon surrounded by canoes filled with natives; two came
on board. The ladies hastened on deck, but quickly scudded away, not a
little startled at beholding men like Adam when he tasted the forbidden
fruit: they knew not they were naked, and they were not ashamed. I
returned to my cabin. The stem of the vessel was soon encircled by
canoes filled with limes, citrons, oranges, cocoa-nuts, plantains, yams,
eggs, chickens, little pigs, and various kinds of fruit. The sight of
these temptations soon overcame my horror at the want of drapery of
the islanders, and I stood at the port bargaining for what I wished to
obtain until the floor was covered. Our traffic was thus conducted—I
held up an empty jam-pot, and received in return a basket full of
citrons; for two empty phials, a couple of fowls; another couple of
fowls were given in exchange for an empty tin case that held portable
soup; the price of a little pig was sixpence, or an old razor: they
were eager at first for knives, but very capricious in their bargains:
the privates of the Lancers had glutted the market. On my holding up a
clasp-knife, the savage shook his head. I cut off the brass rings from
the window-curtains,—great was the clamour and eagerness to possess
them. On giving a handful to one of the men, he counted them carefully,
and then fitted them on his fingers. The people selected those they
approved, returned the remainder, and gave me fruit in profusion. Even
curtain-rings soon lost their charm—my eye fell on a basket of shells,
the owner refused by signs all my offers—he wanted some novelty: at
length an irresistible temptation was found—an officer of the Lancers cut
off three of the gay buttons from his jacket, and offered them to the
savage, who handed up the shells.
“Figurez-vous,” said the Lancer, “the Carnicobarbarian love of that
fellow, matted with straw and leaves from the waist to the knee, decked
with three Lancer buttons suspended round her neck by a cocoa-nut fibre,
and enraptured with the novelty and beauty of the tout ensemble!!”
The dress, or rather the undress of the men was very simple; a
handkerchief tied round the waist and passed between the limbs so as to
leave the end hanging like a tail: some wore a stripe of plantain-leaf
bound fillet-like round their heads; the necks of the chiefs were
encircled either with silver wire in many rings, or a necklace of cowries.
One of the canoes which came from a distant part of the island was the
most beautiful and picturesque boat I ever saw; it contained twenty-one
men, was paddled with amazing swiftness, and gaily decorated. Of the
canoes, some were so narrow that they had bamboo outriggers to prevent
their upsetting. The natives appeared an honest, inoffensive race, and
were much pleased with the strangers. After dinner it was proposed to go
on shore in the cool of the evening: the unmarried ladies remained on
board. I could not resist a run on a savage island, and longed to see
the women, and know how they were treated. Really the dark colour of
the people serves very well as dress, if you are not determined to be
critical. On landing, I was surrounded by women chattering and staring;
one pulled my bonnet, but above all things they were charmed with my
black silk apron; they greatly admired, and took it in their hands. They
spoke a few words of English, and shook hands with me, saying, “How do?
how do?” and when they wished to purchase my apron they seized it rather
roughly, saying, “You buy? you buy?” meaning, Will you sell it? they were
kind after the mode Nicobar.
The natives are of low stature, their faces ugly, but good-humoured;
they are beautifully formed, reminding one of ancient statues; their
carriage is perfectly erect. A piece of cloth is tied round the waists
of the women, which reaches to the knee. Some women were hideous: of one
the head was entirely shaved, excepting where a black lock was left over
either ear, of which the lobes were depressed, stretched out, and cut
into long slips, so that they might be ornamented with bits of coloured
wood that were inserted. She had the elephantiasis, and her limbs were
swollen to the size of her waist. They are very idle; in fact, there
appears no necessity for exertion—fruits of all sorts grow wild, pigs
are plentiful, and poultry abundant. Tobacco was much esteemed. Silver
they prized very much, and called coin of all sorts and sizes dollars—a
sixpence or a half-crown were dollars. The only apparent use they have
for silver is to beat it out into thick wire, which they form into spiral
rings by twisting it several times round the finger. Rings are worn
on the first and also on the _middle_ joint of _every_ finger, and on
the thumb also. Bracelets formed after the same fashion wind from the
wrist half-way up the arms. Rings ornament all their toes, and they wear
half-a-dozen anklets. The same silver wire adorns the necks of the more
opulent of the men also. They are copper-coloured, with straight black
hair; their bodies shine from being rubbed with cocoa-nut oil, which
smells very disagreeably. Their huts are particularly well built. Fancy
a great bee-hive beautifully and most carefully thatched, twelve feet
in diameter, raised on poles about five feet from the ground; to the
first story you ascend by a removeable ladder of bamboo; the floor is of
bamboo, and springs under you in walking; the side opposite the entrance
is smoked by a fire: a ladder leads to the attic, where another elastic
floor completes the habitation. They sit or lie on the ground. Making
baskets appears to be their only manufacture.
From constantly chewing the betel-nut, their teeth are stained black,
with a red tinge, which has a hideous effect. I picked up some beautiful
shells on the shore, and bartered with the women for their silver wire
rings.
The colours of my shawl greatly enchanted Lancour, one of their chief
men; he seized it rather roughly, and pushing three fowls, tied by the
legs, into my face, said, “I present, you present.” As I refused to agree
to the exchange, one of the officers interfered, and Lancour drew back
his hand evidently disappointed.
The gentlemen went on shore armed in case of accidents; but the ship
being in sight all was safe. I have since heard that two vessels, which
were wrecked on the island some years afterwards, were plundered, and the
crews murdered.
Many of the most beautiful small birds were shot by the officers. As for
foliage, you can imagine nothing more luxuriant than the trees bending
with fruits and flowers. No quadrupeds were to be seen but dogs and pigs;
there are no wild beasts on the island. They say jackals, alligators, and
crabs are numerous: the natives were anxious the sailors should return
to the ship at night, and as they remained late, the Nicobars came down
armed with a sort of spear; they were cautious of the strangers, but
showed no fear, and told the men to come again the next day. It must be
dangerous for strangers to sleep on shore at night, on account of the
dense fog, so productive of fever.
The scene was beautiful at sunset; the bright tints in the sky contrasted
with the deep hue of the trees; the shore covered with men and boats;
the bee-hive village, and the novelty of the whole. Many of the savages
adorned with European jackets, were strutting about the vainest of the
vain, charmed with their new clothing; Lancour was also adorned with a
cocked-hat! The woman who appeared of the most consideration, perhaps the
queen of the island, wore a red cap shaped like a sugar-loaf, a small
square handkerchief tied over one shoulder, like a monkey mantle, and
a piece of blue cloth round her hips; a necklace of silver wire, with
bracelets, anklets, and rings on the fingers and toes without number. The
pigs proved the most delicate food; they were very small, and fattened on
cocoa-nuts: the poultry was excellent.
The natives make a liquor as intoxicating as gin from the cocoa-nut tree,
by cutting a gash in the bark and collecting the juice in a cocoa-nut
shell, which they suspend below the opening to receive it; it ferments
and is very strong—the taree or toddy of India.
Little did I think it would ever have been my fate to visit such an
uncivilized island, or to shake hands with such queer looking men;
however, we agreed very well, and they were quite pleased to be noticed:
one man, who made us understand he was called Lancour, sat down by my
side, and smoked in my face by way of a compliment. They delight in
tobacco, which they roll up in a leaf, and smoke in form of a cigar. I
cannot refrain from writing about these people, being completely island
struck.
It was of importance to the ‘Winchelsea,’ in which there were a hundred
and twenty on the sick list, to procure fruit and vegetables, as the
scurvy had broken out amongst the crew.
We landed, Oct. 30th, and quitted the island, Nov. 2nd, with a fair wind:
all the passengers on board were in good spirits, and the ship presented
a perfect contrast to the time of the calm.
_Nov. 3rd._—We passed the Andaman Islands, whose inhabitants are
reported to have a fondness for strangers of a nature different to the
Carnicobarbarians,—they are Cannibals!
A steady, pleasant monsoon urged us bravely onwards: a passing squall
caught us, which laid the vessel on her side, carried away the flying
jib, and split the driver into shreds: the next moment it was quite calm.
_7th._—We fell in with the Pilot Schooner, off the Sandheads, the pilot
came on board, bringing Indian newspapers and fresh news.
_10th._—We anchored at Saugor.—Here we bade adieu to our
fellow-passengers, and the old ‘Marchioness of Ely:’ perhaps a more
agreeable voyage was never made, in spite of its duration, nearly five
months.
Our neighbours, in the stern cabin, very excellent people, and ourselves,
no less worthy, hired a decked vessel, and proceeded up the Hoogly; that
night we anchored off Fulta, and enjoyed fine fresh new milk, &c.; the
next tide took us to Budge-Budge by night, and the following morning we
landed at Chandpaul Ghaut, Calcutta.
The Hoogly is a fine river, but the banks are very low; the most
beautiful part, Garden Reach, we passed during the night. The first sight
of the native fishermen in their little dinghees is very remarkable. In
the cold of the early morning, they wrap themselves up in folds of linen,
and have the appearance of men risen from the dead. Many boats passed us
which looked as if
“By skeleton forms the sails were furled,
And the hand that steered was not of this world.”
_13th._—In the course of a few hours after our arrival, a good house
was taken for us, which being sufficiently large to accommodate our
companions, we set up our standards together in Park-street, Chowringhee,
and thus opened our Indian campaign.