Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-19
PiGMIEs OF THE ANDAMANs.
The Fiercest Little Savages I'm the
World at Last Won by Kindness.

From the New York Sun.
In the Bay of Bengal is a chain of island:
known as the Andamans. whose inhabitants
have long been famous for their extreme fe-
rocity, their diminutive stature, and the utter
failure of missionaries who have labored
among them for twenty years without making
a single convert. 1t has been almost certain
death for a stranger to set foot on some OF
these islands, and il may now be said for the
first time that, through the exercise of long
and patient kindness, these little folks have
been infused with some measure Of confidence
in the outer world. A large part Of their coasts
may now be visited without inviting the TRACE
dies of which we have often read as occurring
there.
We find that the pigmies of the Andamans,
like most misunderstood and little known
people, are not so black as they have been
painted by every writer from Marco Polo to
this day. and that their ferocity was due to the
inhumanity OF Chinese and Malay traders. who
improved every opportunity to drag the natives
into slavery. Col. Cadell, Mr.. Man, and Others
who have known them best. say they are good
natured and pleasant people to meet when
once their confidence il gained.
1t was long before the idea dawned upon
these people that the whole world was not ne
cessarily hostile to them. In Little Andaman,
for instance. every shipwrecked crew or casual
visitor. until year or two ago. was killed II
the natives could get at them. Every friendly
overture was answered with showers of arrows.
At last this persistent hostility has been over
come, and the most intrsctable of savages are
on good terms with the white race.
The Indian government has long maintained
a penal colony on South Andaman. The white
officers in charge of it resolved to try upon the
fierce dwarfs of Little Andaman the policy that
had won for them the good will of many other
islanders. A while ago an expedition, assailed
as usual when il landed with arrows and battle
axes, took three women and six men prisoners
and carried them nearly hundred miles away
to Port Blair. They were treated with the
utmost kindness, and after while began to
think they were among friends In two months
they were restored to their island loaded with
all the presents they could carry. Upon the
next visit of the whites the released captives
came to see them, and in a few DAYS men,
women and children fearlessly visited the
camp. and even ventured on board the steam
launch. Some Of them have since visited the
white settlement on South Andaman. and
though tact and caution are still required in
dealing with them, it is believed that soon
shipwrecked crews will be able to land on
Little Andaman with perfect safety.
As far as We know. the Andamanese are one
of the smallest races of men that ever existed.
The average height of the men. Prof Flower
tells US. is feet inches, that of the women
feet inches. They are about the same size as
the South African Bushmen, and we know no
people smaller than the Bushmen except the
Aka of Central Africa. Evidently of Negrito
stock. the isolation resulting from their fierce
ness has kept them pure and primitive race,
still in the stone age, forming their huts of
boughs and leaves. and presenting to ethnolo-
gists most interesting field of study.
Only one tribe of these wild people has thus
far proved wholly untameable. The Jarawas
of Great Andaman keep their arrows sharpened
for any whites who pass their way. Some of
them have been taken captive, honored with
the kindest attention, and finally sent home
loaded with presents. but the hatred they cher
ish for the white race is still fierce and vim
dictive as ever.