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ANDAMAN

Andaman Islands.—These islands lie in the Bay of Bengal, 120 miles from Cape hlegrais in British Burma. The southernmost, Little Andaman (26 miles by 16), is separated by a passage 31 miles wide from Rutland Island (11 miles long), which in turn is the southernmost of a group of five main islands together forming the Great Andaman. North of Rutland Island is South Andaman (49 miles), and for 17 miles from the north end, and parallel to the east shore of this, runs an island called Baratang. Beyond these again stretch Middle Andaman (59 miles), and North Andaman (51 miles). Between the North and Middle Andamans lies Austen Strait; between Middle Andaman and the north extremities of South Andaman and Baratang, Homfray’s Strait j between South Andaman and Baratang, Middle (or Andaman) Strait; and between South Andaman and Rutland Island, Macpherson’s Strait, the only one of the four navigable by ocean-going vessels. The sea all around is most difficult of navigation, but there are a number of safe harbours and anchorages around Great Andaman, and the charts generally were much improved by a survey in 1888-89, the chart resulting from which is in turn being continually amended. The whole group was completely surveyed topographically in 1883-86, when accurate maps on the scale of 2 miles to the inch were produced. The neighbourhood of Port Blair was mapped on a scale eight times as large.

ISLANDS hood of Port Blair. There is, however, no indigenous labour whatever, and the working of this area is entirely carried out by the convicts in the penal settlement. There is an export trade in timber both to Calcutta and to Europe, and the Andaman Padouk is so highly valued in European markets as a substitute for mahogany that a spurious imitation known as African Padouk has been Exploited. Tea is grown in considerable quantities, and the cultivation is under a department of the penal settlement. The output in 1895 was 145,203 lb ; in 1897, 121,056 lb ; in 1899, 154,004 1b. ,, , Animals.—Of imported animals, cattle, goats, asses, and dogs thrive well; ponies and horses, indifferently; sheep, badly, though some success has been achieved in breeding them.

Aborigines.—The policy of conciliation unremittingly pursued for the last forty years has now secured a friendly reception for shipwrecked crews at any port of the islands except the south and west of Little Andaman and North Sentinel Island. The population is not susceptible of census, but probably it has always been small. Local expert guesses do not now place it higher than from 2500 to 3500, and though it is commonly asserted that the natives are going down before superior civilization, it is doubtful whether, except in the immediate neighbourhood of the penal settlement, there is as yet any permanent change in their numbers. Though all descended from one stock, there are ten distinct tribes of the Andamanese, each with its own clearly defined locality, its own distinct variety of the one fundamental language, and to a certain extent its own separate habits. Every tribe is divided into septs fairly well defined. The tribal feeling may be Geology. — Preliminary examinations undertaken by official expressed as friendly within the tribe, courteous to other experts have afforded all that is yet known of the geology. Ihe Andamanese if known, hostile to every stranger, submarine ridges forming these islands contain much that is characteristic of the Arakan Yomas and formations common to the Andamanese or other. Another division of the natives Nicobars, Sumatra, and the islands off Sumatra. The older rocks is into Aryauto or long-shore-men, and the Eremtaga or are probably early Tertiary or late Cretaceous, but there are no jungle-dwellers. The habits and capacities of these two fossils to indicate age. The newer rocks are in the Archipelago differ, owing to surroundings, irrespectively of tribe. Yet , chiefly and contain radiolarians and foraminifera. A theory of the subsidence of the islands seems established ; it appears to be of again the Andamanese can be grouped according to certain recent origin and signs of its continuance are to be found at several salient characteristics: the forms of the bows and arrows, places. Though lying along a recognized subterranean line of of the canoes, of ornaments and utensils, of tattooing, and weakness, the islands have, since the British occupation (1858) at least, been entirely free from earthquakes of great violence, but of language. The average height of males is 4 ft. lOsjr in.; shocks are felt at more or less frequent intervals. Narcondam of females, 4 ft. 6 in. Being accustomed to gratify every (extinct) and Barren Island are volcanoes of the general Sunda sensation as it arises, they endure thirst, hunger, want of group. The sea-shells are not specially distinctive, but the land- sleep, and bodily discomfort badly. The skin varies in shells are more noteworthy. Meteorology.—Rarely affected by a cyclone, though within the colour from an intense sheeny black to a reddish-brown on influence of practically every one that blows in the Bay of Bengal, the collar-bones, cheeks, and other parts of the body. the Andamans are of the greatest importance because of the The hair varies from a sooty black to dark and light brown accurate information relating to the direction and intensity of and red. It grows in small rings, which give it the storms which can be communicated from them, better than from any appearance of growing in tufts, though it is really closely other point in the Bay, to the vast amount of shipping in this part of the Indian Ocean. Trustworthy information, also, and evenly distributed over the whole scalp. The figures regarding the weather which may be expected in the north and of the men are muscular and well-formed, and generally east of India is obtained at the islands, and this proves of the pleasing; a straight, well-formed nose and jaw are by no utmost value to the controllers of the great trades dependent upon means rare, and the young men are often distinctly goodthe rainfall. A well-appointed meteorological station has been established at Port Blair since 1868. Speaking generally, the looking. The only artificial deformity is a depression of climate of the Andamans themselves may be described as normal the skull, chiefly among one of the southern tribes, caused for tropical islands of similar latitude. Not only does the rainfall by the pressure of a strap used for carrying loads. The at one place vary from year to year, but there is an extraordinary pleasing appearance natural to the men is not a chardifference in the returns for places quite close to one another. The official figures in inches for the station at Port Blair, which is acteristic of the women, who early have a tendency to situated in by far the driest part of the settlement, were : stoutness and ungainliness of figure, and sometimes to pronounced prognathism. They are, however, always 1897. 1898. bright and merry, are under no special social restrictions, and have considerable influence. The women s 125-64 j 107-28 | 136-41 127-22 | 87-01 heads are shaved entirely, and the men’s into fantastic The mean highest temperature in the shade in 1895 (April) was patterns. Yellow and red ochre mixed with grease are 90-1° F. ; in 1897 (April), 94° F. ; in 1899 (March), 91-8° F. The coarsely smeared over the bodies, grey in coarse patterns, mean lowest temperature in the shade in 1895 (February) was and white in fine patterns resembling tattoo marks. 70’9° F. ; in 1897 (January), 72-5° F. ; in 1899 (February), Tattooing is of two distinct varieties. In the south the 71-2° F. A tidal observatory has also been maintained at Port body is slightly cut by women with small flakes of glass Blair since 1880. Forests.—In the forests which cover the Great Andaman the or quartz in zigzag or lineal patterns downwards. In timber available for economic purposes is both plentiful and the north it is deeply cut by men with pig-arrows in varied and the supply is only limited by the difficulty of obtaining lines across the body. The male matures when about labour. A section of the general forest department of India has fifteen years of age, marries when about twenty-six, begins been established in the islands, and 156 square miles have been formally set apart for regular forest operations in the neighbour- to age when about forty, and lives on to sixty or sixty-five