The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-11
DwARFs oFTHE ANDAMAN ISLANDS.
They Look Like Darby Babies All Their
Lives-Are Genuine Little sayages.


remarkable chronological collection
from the Andaman Islands has Just
reached the National Museum. 1t oom-
prlses large number of objects illustrat-
ing the arts and industries of the strange
race OF dwafrs which inhabits an archi-
pelago in the Bay of Bengal. Sailors
have long known them somewhat disre-
spectfully as "Little Niggers," because
the average height of the men is only
about feet 10 inches, while the ordinary
stature OF the women Is 4 feet inches.
Perhaps the oldest thing about them is
that they look like babies all their lives.
seeming never to grow up. Withal they
are probably the most primitive savages
in the world. The collection has been
forwarded by DR.. Enrico Giglioli, Diree-
tor of the Florence Museum.
The dwarfs of the Andamans, until
quite recently, have not known how to
make fire. On one of the islands of the
archipelago is an active volcano, from
which they We're accustomed formerly to
obtain fresh supplies of fire at intervals
Special expedi tions for this purpose were
not often necessary inasmuch as they
know how to keep fire burning in de-
cayed wood for an indefinite length of
time. The People Of village, when
leaving an encampment with the inten-
tlon OF returning In a few days, would
| take with them one or more smoldering
logs. At the same time they would
place large burning log or fagot in a
sheltered spot, where it would smolder
for long while, SO as to be easily re-
kindled when required. incidentally
all labor of splitting and chopping was
| saved, inasmuch as such log could be
broken up into small pieces by hammer
ing 1t with a stone.
This method of keeping fire in deoayed
wood is still practiced commonly by the
Little Niggers, especially in the interior
of the larger islands, where they do not
come into contact with white visitors.
cited their wonder so much as friction
matches. To produce fire with such ense
off-hand struck them MS actually super
natural accomplishments Anthropolo-
gists say that primitive man did not In
vent fire; he found 1T. Having found
uses for it. Not until long ages had
passed did he learn to make fire. 1t was
an advanced art, tho practice of which
required high degree of skill If you
do not believe it, just try to get spark
by means of the wooden sticks employed
by savages for the purpose.
Formerly the dwarfs of the Andamans
were accustomed to murder ruthlessly all
strangers who approached their horses.
Melancholy indeed was the fate Of ship
wrecked sailors who CHANGED to seek ref
uge on the islands of the archipelago.
They vera sure to be shot to death with
arrows. Indeed distressed mariners cast
away in that part of the Bay of Bengal
would be most likely to be massacred
even at the present day. 1t is believed
that the inveterate hostility OF the I.ittio
Niggers arose originally from the cruel
practices of Malays, Burmese and Chi
nese, who visited the Andamans to get
edible BIRDS nests and sea oucumbers.
They used to kidnap the natives and
sell them as slaves in nejghboring coun-
tries. When the British established a
settlement there the savages frequently
attacked them and took every opportu-
nifty of stealing tho iron tools and other
implements which excited their oupidity.
Within recent years they have become
comparatively tractable, however.
There are several shades of color among
these little people, ranging from bronze
tremely frizzly so as to look MS it if grew
in spiral tufts. 1t is fine in texture and
seldom more than two or three inches
long. Most of the women shave their
heads once week, leaving only two mar
row strips of hair from the crown to the
nape of the neck. Many of the men fol-
low the same practice though the style
is different, a circular patch of hair six
inches in diameter being left, like O
skull cap, or the crown of the head
Men sometimes shave each others heads,
but only when the services of woman
etl q INV hNdlAhDlc, AOE AZ Is OH6 VI bu0 Qu-
ties of the fair sex In these tribes to act
as BARRIERS The eyebrows are generally
removed also. The razor Is a flake of
quartz or glass.
These dwarfs are almost naked. The
women wear small aprons of leaves, but
| the men wear nothing. The men wear
punches of leaves attached to their knees
and wrists. Carriers bracelet sand neck
laoes of bones, shells or wood are COM
mon ornaments. Tattooing serves to q
| certain extent as a substitute for raj
ment. Women do the tattooing. AS q
protection against the hot tropical sun
the people smear their bodies with a
whitawash of clay and water. Efforts
| toIreclaim the Andamanese from their
savage state have not produced results
of unmixed good. Homes having been
established for their benefit by mission
airy influence, those accommodated at
these institutions are fat and lazy, SPEND
ing days together in singing, dancing and
| feasting.
Tt is an old story that wherever civil