The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-11-20
A CURIOUS RACE OF MEN.
THE PEOPLE WHO INHAsTT THE AN
DAAAn I56ENpS.
less Than Eiyo Fcct JJi-h -Physicol
prcuiiaritics-t Tito IN The Jungle -
MarringcS nnl EumrrAlN.

-
Marriages and Funerals.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
theory was exploded a hundred years
ago it is still said that the Andamaneese
are tho descendants of African slaves
who, centuries ago, were wrecked upon
the Andaman Islands. Mr.. Mand CLASH
fies them thus: 1. NegritOs, not Papuans,
as stated by Figuier: 2. Original in
habitants, whose occupancy dates from
prehistoric times. Racial affinity may
possibly be found to exist between them
and the Semangs of the Malayan PEN
insula or the Aetas of the Philippine
islands.
The race is divided linguistically into
nine tribes. The entire group is supposed
to contain about 4, 600 souls. In stature
the people are certainly short. The men
do not average more than 4 feet 10f
inches in height and the women not
more than feet II inches. Colonel
Cadet, V. c., is reported to have found
Que men 3 feet 9 inches and another 5
4 J inches. Such men, if they ever
existed, must have been regarded us
giants by their tribesmen. There
is nothing remarkable about their
weight. The men average 9s9 pounds,
and women 81 pounds. Many Of the
men are well made, with large, muscular
limbs. The women are somewhat UNI
calmly in appearance. The skin is
black, smooth and shiny. Occasionally
it is covered with a red paint mixture of
oxide of iron and pig or turtle fat, to
protect them from the heat CT the sun
and from fever The men are tatooed
in peculiar way. Rows Of horizontal
lines, slightly raised above the surface
of the skin, cover the chest, arms and
back. Tattooing is the work of the
women, who, by means of pieces of
broken bottles or of pointed iron, thus
adorn their husbands persons. The
men have their heads shaved generally
neck, leaving a tuft of woolly cork
screw curls Just above the ears. Some
times the head is shayen all round, leav-
in small tuft of hair on the top. They
have no hair on their faces. The women
shave their heads completely. All Of
the hair dressing is done by the women.
The head is decidedly small; in shape it
is oval or square. The lips are full, but
not thick; the nose is rather flat and
broad; the eyes are large and promi-
nent; the forehead is low. The
men, but not the women, 20 in
puris naturalibus, except when they
enter the settlement, when they are re.
0lircd to don narrow girdlc provided
for them by the government. The
women wear a scanty grdic to which is
attached single leaf. Men and women
wear necklaces made of finger bones or
spine bones Of their deceased ancestors
ard children. These are worn partly rs
ornaments and partly as charms it was
probably this practice of wearing bones
that led to the belief that the Andaman-
eese are cannibals.
The Andamaneesc houses are Of the
most primitive kind. In most cases they
consist of nothing more than few leaves
stitched together and fastened to trees
in such way rs to afford a s!oping roof
the sides all around being open. If
trees are not contiguous, or for any
other reason are not adapted to the pur-
pose, four posts are driven into the
ground, two of them not much above
the ground. and two much higher,
placed few PAGES from the first two,
and the leafy, sloping roof is placed on
the top Of them.
Until very recently it was generally
supposed that the Anlamaneesc lived on
/ the sea coast, and that they obtained the
| means of their subsistence by fishing.
| Now it is found that the larger proper
ton OF them dwell in the jungles, and
| live on the indigenous products of the
soil. For this reason attempts have
been made to induce them to fol-
low agricultural pursuits. SO fan
these efforts have not been at
tended with success. The people prefer
TO peddle turtles, tortoise shells, pawn
leaves, bones and oysters. They are in
many ways useful to the government,
more particularly in hunting down es-
capped convicts. They are extremely
fond of knives, looking glasses, dogs,
clay pipes, match boxes, tobacco and
rum, things provided for them by the
government at a cost of $500 month
So 50 are allowed them for the capture
of every runaway convict. This sum is
spent for them in pig, pipes, tobacco,
etc. AS a race the Andamaneese arc
generous and hospitabe. The men find
the ncccssaries of life; the household
work devoivcs upon the women. The
children are kind and dutiful to theil
! p"iOh'o, oHu pS5'h " IlOi II tHCluoC4NCs
very early in life. At eight years of age
the boys find the means of their own
subsistence; at seven the girls do do
nestle work. The people appear to be
very happy. They delight in singing
and dancing. The dance is peculiar
one. 1t requires no choosing OF part.
ners. Men and women dance, not to-
gether, bnt in alternate sets. Holding
their hands above their heads, palms up.
ward and thumbs joined, the men hor
around, first on one foot and then on the
other, vigorously striking the ground
with their feet to the time given them by
the shouting and clapping of the by.
ISLANDERS. When the men are tired the
women take their turn. Walking few
PAGES forward they stop, swing their
arms to and fro and then make a series
OF jumps. They then turn slowly round,
walk back to their former position and
there repeat the swinging and jumping
performance. Although suffering from
a terrible disease they greatly enjoy the