The herald., 1897-02-02
A STRANGE PEOPLE.
They Are the Andamantese. Are
Dwarfs, and Have Peculiar Ways.

Curious looking little folk are the An
damantese, long known to sailors as the
little niggers," and perhaps one OF the
most curious of their characteristics Is
that they never seem to grow up. The
height of the men is only feet 10 inches,
and the ordinary stature of their wo-
men is about three inches less, and in
complexion they vary from bronze color
to a sooty' black. Their hair Is fine and
very frlZzy, not generally more than
two or three inches long, and 1t has the
appearance of growing in spiral tufts
Most of the women indulge in a weekly
head-shaving and leave only two narrow
strips of hair from the crown to the
nape of their necks. Many men also have
shaved heads, but with them a circular
patch of hair is left on the crown. having
somewhat the effect of skullcap.
The razor is flake Of quartz or glass,
and with it the eyebrows also are gem
orally shaved.
The costumes of these funny little
people are sketchy, to say the least OF
them. The attire of the men consists
of punches of leaves attached to the
knees and wrists, while that of the wo-
men Is a small apron of leaves. That
their bodies may not suffer from the
scorching rays of the tropical sun, men
and women alike smear them ~ith q
whitewash of clay mixed with water.
As there is not much scope for the in
diligence of vanity in their simple gar
ments, tattooing, done by the women,
is greatly in favor, and, to large extent,
takes the place Of clothes.
In their fashions of personal adOrn-
ment, the strangest of all Is that Of
wearing necklaces of human bones. The
preparation of these Is rather CHASTITY.
When child dies, its body is buried,
but only for a short period, when 1t Is
disinterred by the father, who takes 1t
down to the seashore or to river bank,
and there, with the greatest care, he
removes the flesh from the bones. Hav-
ing done this, he returns home with the
skull and bones, and the latter he breaks
up into fragments suitable for stringin6
together into necklaces.
The skull is kept by the mother, who
after painting 1t with yellow pigment,
ard decorating 1t with little shells at
tached to 1t with a string, hangs II from
her neck. If the skull is that Of an in
fant, OF course 1t Is brittle. and, there
fore. it is entirely covered with string TO
guard it from injury For some days the
mother occupies herself in the making
of necklaces from the little bones and
then, with her husband, starts Off to Wis
1t her friends and to bestow these me-
mentoes of the departed.
These grewsome ornaments are great
ly valued as charms to keep off sickness
and also as aid to recovery for those
at least one such necklace, and some
times also one or more of teeth taken
from a human skull and strung toge ther.
Carriers, necklaces and bracelets are
often made of shells and wood. as well
as Of bone.
The dwellings of the Andamantese ara
as elementary as their styles of costume.
Their huts are simple frameworks OF
light poles, rooted in with large palm
leaves. Skulls of pigs and other tro..
phieis of the chase hang from the roof
in front. and inside the hut fire is ale
ways kept burning. Above the fire
shelf is placed, which serves as larder
for any little reserve of food, for there,
in the smoke of the fire, 1t will probably
be free from the attacks Of insects. Sam
itation Is quite unknown in Andaman-
tese villages, and when little colony
breaks up, then the crows and hermit
crabs step in and do the work Of scaven-
gers.