New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-15
THE ANDAMAN DWARFS.
AN INTERESTING RACE OF ASlATlC ISLAND
Frs THAT IS RAPIDLY DYING OUT.
Washington correspondence of The Philadelphia

Frs THAT IS RAPIDLY DYING OUT
Washington correspondence of The Philadelphia
Times
A remarkable chronological collection from the the
Museum: 1t comprises a large number Of objects cts
illustrating the arts and industries OF the strange e
the Bay of Bengal Sailors have long known them
somewhat dsrespectfully as Little Nigsers' De-
four feet ten Inches. While the ordinary stature
Of the women is four feet seven inches. Perhaps p
babies ali their lives. seeming never to grow up.
WhaI they are the most re9erped to has
been forwarded by DR.. Enrico Gigioli director OF
The dwarfs OF the Andamans. until quite re-
Gently have not known how to make fre on one
Of the islands of the archipelago IS an aetvg eJ
obtain fresh suE,lies Of fire at Intervals Speclsl
SI this Knew hove 10
burning in decayed wood for an indefinite length OF
encampment with the Intention OF returning in
few days. would take with them one or more
smouderng logs At the same time they would place ,
where i would sm9uldsr for long while SO as 70
all labor of splitting and choPping was saved in in;
asmuch as such a log could be broken into small
pieces by hammerlng 1t with stone AIN,
This method of keeping fire in decayed wood Is stu
practised commonly by the Little Niggers wbe eS
they do no, come into contact with white visitors;
a 6 MATCHES sss T proee
fire with such offhand struck them as actually
supernatural accomplishment. AntnroPsoiogiss.s Us
found it. Having found it, il did not take him long
to discover for it. Not until anti long gas ages s as
d @ a. by s De a Ss 1S1Sss St '' try
my pGSed d BY q the We're
to he shos
seek Se on he he
They were sure to be shot to death with arrows
Of the Bay Of Bengal would be most likely to be
massacred even at the present day, II IS 5etevea
arose originally from the cruel practice OF Maays
Burmese and Chinese who visited the AndaTs mans
used to kdnap the natives and sell them as slaves
in neighboring countries When the British e ;,
attacked them and took every opportunity OF steal
ing the iron tools and other implements which ex-
become omparatlvcly ,ractable. however.
There are several shades Of color among these Sc
black Their hair is extremely frzzly so as to look
as II i grew in spiral tufts is ne irt IN texture dnr
Most of the women shave their heads once week
leaving TO only nsoe az % stcE p ah hair Of R Se es
follow the same practice though the style is differ
en cq paeh Of sk mr. cap FIX ON Ss m of
the head Men some,imsa shave. each others
heads. but only when the services OF woman are
not available for it is OF duties of the fair
in these tribes TO aci as BARRIERS the eyebrows
are generally removed also. The razor is make
These dwarfs almost naked. The women
wear small aprons OF leaves put the men wear
nothing. The men wear punches OF leaves at
tached to their knees and wrists Carriers. bracelets
and necklaces OF bones. shells or wood are common
ornaments Tattooing serves TO certain extent
substitute for raiment. Women DO the tattoo,
sun. the people their bodies with white
wash OF clay and water. Efforts to reclaim the
Andamanese from their savage state have not pro-
duced results OF unmixed good. Homes having been
those accommodated at these institutions are fat
ard lazy. spending their time for days together in
singing. dancing and feasting.
II is an old story that wherever civilization goes.
with It's diseases and whiskey ii wipes out the
primitive savage races, The Andaman Islands az
ford no exception 10 the rule. The original popu-
ation there ~ rapidly disappearing the death rate
far exceeding the birth rate, and before very long
these interesting little people will be practically
extinct. They have delicate constitutions not being
able 10 withstand sicknesses from which Europeans
easily recover. Fifty years Is the extreme limit
OF age among them. and. partly owing TO the great
only about twenty-five years From time 10 time
epidemics of measles and other complaints COM
munlcated from the whites have destroyed large
numbers OF them Their ill-success In rearing their
by which each infant Is sucked by the women IN
discriminatory. In this manner diseases are spread
II IL a notable fact that idiots or lunatics are
ever found among the Andamanese.
The Little Niggers had no knowledge or intoxi-
cants until the Europeans came. Like most saw
ages they have readily acquired taste for whskey.
and both men and women have become inveterate
smokers OF tobacco.
l. used 10 be supposed that the Andamanese were
cannibals but this belief has no foundation In
fact They express the greatest horror or the
custom. Marriages aTong them are arranged by
go-betweens. and newly married couples are SO
Rashful that commonly they DO not exchange a
word or a look at each other for some days
after the ceremony