The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-11
BRIDES OF THE ANDAMANS.
QUEER MARINA or THE CONVICT,
SETTLEMENT OF INDIA. =

= tUNN WV VI RSAhV .iuNRA AAhAA AtN~Nt hh
the twenty Years I have knocked about the
world" said a sea Captain the other day. but
] think the pairing of OF the iailbirds at An
daman was the stranRest thing OF them all.
For n couple of years l commanded the steamer
that runs down monthly from Calcutta to the
penal colony for British India on the Anda-
man and Nicobar islands. l was a younEster
then and Interested In all sorts Of things. and
it didn't take me long to strike up an acquaint-
ance with the Chief Commissioner or Presi-
dent OF the colony. who used to let me 90 all
over the place. The female prison was an OBJ
ject Of specinl interest TO me. and l must have
been an object Of special interest to the pris-
oners. for. except the Rray-haired Superin-
tendent. they didn't see a man from one years
end to another. l had n smatterinG Of the Ian
Ruage. and enjoyed several harmless firta-
tions with dusky beauties whose eccentricities
even India had been unable to put up with.
The prison is as inaccessible rs any sui
tan's harem. 1t is built on q ~promontory and
protected on the side toward the sea by a sheer
cliff 200 feet high. while on the land side the
grounds are surrounded by a fifteen-foot wall.
There are several guards stationed at the en-
trance. and in order to get by the first Of these
a man has to give a certain password. In re-
turn this guard gives him another password.
which takes him by the second. and so on.
pooS 90 uoSoh hhoJ O't pOhSO. Us 'hot
are called. are the oldest and most hideous
women in the Jail. To be eligible a woman
must have gray hair and a face that would
stop a clock. besides b record for sobriety and
obedience.
A the c~onvicts went down from Calcutta in
my boat. and when l saw them afterward in
the prison they always remembered me. and
some OF them would have fallen on my neck IL
they hadn't beer afraid OF the superintend-
emit who was generally alongside Of me. All
rne pp's thsy v nave e III W tbs c,o aha t IN t the i mno,s
49, W. - anaAo ne ~
700. 1 oeieVe' IL anV OF the women refuse 10 40
.hsu p san,s i,,.e II 10 GU o n.s sn o. nair. rms
will generally bring them to terms. for they
are inst as vain as other women and don't
S want 't thei n' lo on,n hair nS o eUt o M0n If this hnd doesn't esnt
convince them that it's better to work in the
shop, they are made to wear mems clothes
and work in the grounds, which are beautiful
ly kept, entirely by the W omen prisoners. The
trousers anu Jackets given 10 'hose VINO are
punished IN this way are OF the coarsest ma
terial. and are very u~ubecoming. and the wo-
MON bova 10 trrnd,a ,baa,horro,, .,d d;oi 4,
men nave 10 Iruhuie WheeioarroWs ana uie In
the dirt. Just like men. II even this Fails, thew
n c rnw Win and dh tba ao9 II c oross ro by p griiG a. sh ia,a
The branches are full q sharp tho5ns, which
comfort. GeneraIIly ~ 6 enenu; niipohhfp ~ ~ I tbis Ia ~
eon9h 70 maEa Thy w Une cnsa reodv f Snr tbs
tho tra ouo Imgte was une Ell Wh9 st94o
rnom and stihp e raf,sso u ~ enr Go . nii tnt = "a ro I'LL
SS ne was a m1gnty pfe.ty woman; ana mad
She made nnotbinS hut tro nnIh frnm The oG
she she % eame f intn n. ou All 'ro Sbe w fpUm fhe yo Gdy
t ehu Ssouu'u mahe motA' 81 hhanS
made her sit all pdaE long in the WORK.
ratId Ounce m 6Iac : ei 0ne Sav on g a s ,bs s0 oil eie-
tendent to give me her history SiSt5 II It's It too long to
tell now. but it's enough to:make your hair curl
nne Il never YET a enance 70 make one OF tne
cause those are peWards Tor GOOD aRR ebbavi or
L "W Sbe n t he "bS ay wOnYda On y d Sne isi tirtet Of.
,o,ya man .nmney mane m ~ q uoaen stcSe1,ot-
TN Fimo onnn,s recept I9in,,. II any matches are made:
gron Sou same Gis s ! way and y s W. S nn pSe
Gowepnnent land. There they get a certain
stnres and mi are left ~ tbe a se eHe Tha tictEy.
cts Of Leave cave don't Z take Them Where ex cent
sentences, These matrimonial ye @e are arr
the funniest things | ever saw. The men are
brought one By one into a sort Of TecePtion
iong ~ Tbare wot aenorot1r ssnaraI kSrannLa
in IN the line N 70 q sena rat ffbbose ~ d iisTt1ral castes
and rali1ions for tbay are yarv nnrticniar
anu ahout tbat IN i9 2nd iney sa ae T efy tb paIsic msp
haven't seen a woman for ten years, maVbe.
md yhav lnot vary ourionalv at than Wban
my !, Ihi ~ I MON III ;n oth,ittbiis s d sn y mnen
Is made Of his name bis history bis reiiaion
M n; ~ tba nr;ma Il. I' t ui :, hs H'o
w ase ar tn1 ma ayI he a 'dh ozen iU Woman apn = 6 NJ;
raI;aion On Ia ei;g;hIa Iist and ba IL tatnn
re- III ar r. Cme in iba rn ~ n altar u fa Iiatfia
with her a few minutes. he doesn't think he
" Eoa alwa aHe co oee; he k cSsti Tn Y bi Eae awe veH s, ONE: Ike IL
iinc 70 see n tbere are nnv fnrtbsr G a that
he likes bettter Than Il near the ton somsV
t;1paS no saas ona Nan tIo snd ~ M ,o thet
tnEes he fspcy and be viii Vail atrainbt Sv
s1IN The n ntb easG and In pa.t he b wll w " sb s' Iites bi ny
f " fSe 2tn Hn n an To f p }nhIe and n b n bfsto rvI \:
r resd re him Il pHe mav 'I nosst niI nbient tn yybs
crime she was sent mn for and n 40 The mar
81 dao,ane VIZ. S mn W. II ~ IN 80 ~ ~ amaia
IL aho oefi tbet ~ II Pu y mon Iike eaet r. Is mo oot tso of 9
~ h ho i 10 = narn Inv "a s nv LOOKS ~ aa
there II would GENERALLY gntr r9T he sn n c case Of ! the be
rm oauino tGa tattin XII 70 d vaee vi 'he
=" TT a mon III tbrnn5 ~ t "a ina ,nd
doesn't s ana on Soe thar ~ ouita antis a ~ h y Z
soma,m nau one 'hat Iut ens sdS,sYes III ;b ne
he has before passed nv a y not nuite e u%adi
nnoi,ah Rnt AZ u Yon thinL 20 W iii I hnHo 49, "
tbing 70 do w;tS him HAM NJ mnch ~
wiiii IooS NJ y h ~, 10 II IL rSara d TT a n9i bnld M
WHEN thew have paired off rs MANY as ms
~~l uvol- AkN,N To- tho rA,, To- l. rA,N Al