Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-17
SOUTH SEA P|GM|ES
The Andaman islanders Inter-
esting to Scientists.
Human Bones are Worn as Their
Ornaments.
c,evsore Collection Of Curios Received al
The Nationl Museum.

omprSeS. amGnS otner tniiSS' HeNh-
,,ces OF human backbones-the
,.ertebrae, that is to say, strung to
c.tber-and similar ornaments made
If human skulls and jawbones. such
articles il appears. are worn by these
,,o,uIiar aborigines around their necks
,s Sims Of mourning. in memory of
defunct itl;ltiVeS.
,rho natives of the Antlaman Islands
,re dwarfs and extremely monkey
IN, In fact. they are among tne
smallest people in the world. mo
average man being not over four feet
Ton inches in height, while the aNerd%"
woman is three inches shorter they
have very frizzly hair, big heads ~
r,nortion to their size. and protrud-
ing stomachs; in color they vary from
hrovu to sooty black. CuriouslN
enough. they look like babies ali their
lives.
ro jnhabitant 81 the archipelago X
i,nout ai least one necklace of hui
man bones or human teeth. such orn!-
mepts being supposed I" ward ~
diseae,. ana magical influences of
hos,il,. cllaract"r.@ .\ftcr a PERSONS
death il is customary tn divide up Ms
pr her skeleton %mnnG members Of tn
family ana intimate friends. me sEuh
b.jr. allotted to the chief mou"nct,
who covers ii with u"tWo"k of string
to protect il from injury ana wears 1t
as = s,rt or brooch for on, year. Tho
skull is usually ornamcntcu ~ attach
iuc 10 II scashrlls. IT, o,i,- eases th"
E,wbo,ic only is woln. attached to "a
dozen or more strings of beads lhht
pass around tn" threat.
50 far as known, thrI" m"ui nin-
customs are entirely unique, ana that
is one reason why they ave 50 l:trl
rsting from the Viewpoint az III
cthnolugist 1t is usual - paint The
skulls with a yelloW pigment ami 70
ornament deliberately with b aAs a.!
nncH5andc from which th"% are hung
Dne that has reached The ElIiOnai
Museum is quite work Of art in its
WAY. ana the preparation Of the grew
Some object must have required
-reat deal Of painstaking labor
These pigmies dwell in huts of palm
leaves. framed upon slender poles.
ard from the roof in front are usually
suspended the skulls Of a variety of
animals. such as turtles and pigs.
which are trophies of the chase The
little s1vaGcS are extremely skillful at
capturing turtles. which they take
with The help Of a peculiar spear
This weapon has detachable head
which comes off from the shaft when
the spear has struck the prey. the
-t;.
mark the whcreabout Of the fleeing
game 1t should be explained thai the
head or point. which is of iron. re-
mains attached to the shaft bv cora
Similar spears are employed for hunt
inS pigs
The men go naked. except for ...t-
tain ornaments. such rs yart,rS ANA
bracelets nf shells ana buncs. TIL, ur-
men wear aprons nf leaves. MI
withstauJinv tb,. r,iyxIv ,..,tur. az
their hair The. dWarf>; lav The greatest
attention ia drarsiuu II ia. ,,-,r,.,,
.a,,.;r
- - pdI "'I II poih I'i t"cIn-
serves ana for tine men. As rule,
The mems heads ar. shaved 60. a. tn
lcat.,. n,,I,. .. ..,,..,,f....
= "''i l'tt'n ~ "'' "i'
~ ~ ~" tflh!nm about SiX inches ~
"dlnrt"T. tbr women retain Cnit- tN-p
sirips Of vnnI r,.n,, "a, ,.,.,,,-,, ..r ~,
h',I VI ""'' ''"'l IN" crown '' the
RI" women also do IN. tattncins
which is anil. .l.hnr,... Ir,..h,,,,,-
tr,. ,,,..,,,,.,,...,.-
u, ''''"' Ni'"Nc"' lle rdN'F uSt'i
"'''T 'IW'}a Il lake of quartz or a
pee" "f glass. Until -yec,alfIy the, ma
lives ku,v. n,thit,.. ~ -. ,t e ,,,..1
ing MI. ..i = ~ - '''ii
'' '"' "ilt accustomed w on
tain tArir @upp,ige of Ihat nuc.e.it,-
noU i Volcano "a which ib.,- ,o.,da
l.. .ri,,Ii,..f
-, Nl'. Il''i9 l'i lH' "ii"'''-
'"' N"rr. "Ed still Hr". able to keep
lirn for j lcn:r tin.. III drraycd v,nI
r;rr,ir. . It, ; .,
,,. i '''' 7. ~ NI'h t"tlH NH'H-
WI itA :" OF on T. hunting tiip.
Matches hay,. been introduced to tbon,
iatnlv Inv whit. ,,,..,, ,,, 49,. ,...,.:,.
:, H'1H' 80 i'lt+ ''iSlSt
= itNdiuulS Su"n ilre-mak king as SUI
pcrnatural
Tn. 1,,I.,,
chain xt.',.I: 'N!'sIl"" i"iin " N"It"H'
them ,.l,.,. ~ - ''ll'Ilrd- - "il'' p;
miles Inn., .rt ~, im'"r ~ lhr Eroup II I"
fcrocit,. a'r many stories "i ihr
mariners shinvr,'.il,, ~ ~. "Mniis ,"M"i"
an attitude an tb,ir mf,,.i .I i,'
been brought ;thn,It ht ,.ri,,.I .l.,v,.-I,i,,,t
lnc raids lnatI,. t1t.,,,, th .,r,.l,;,,nI.,,.n E
thin"s, .ld N;,I,lS ,rrni,.ri, in,,t,,
lhi'trs the. Seen, I. IL. ,r.,,-,.,li,. ,,,,,,.t
when we'll ty,..t,,I 7'
Anger dmnuF. thr ,rl,r,.,,ce, ie .b,v-,
N au odd w,,y M. ,,r,.,,,Ioi nt.r.,,'
hldctS his Irft LtuJ ,,,,r, i,,,,n,rnnst L
tween Hin W., tb .,, 't,,,.i. ,.,.,I,-