The Washington times., 1903-07-09
NUDE DWARFS LIVE
ON DISTANT ISLANDS
NegritOs of Andaman and
NicObar Groups.

BOOK ABOUT MS experiences while col
lecting material in the Andaman and
NicObar groups of islands for the Ma
tional Museum In Washington. The
groups are in the Indian Ocean, about
500 miles from the Hoogly, the mouth of
the Ganges. The Andamanese are fairly
well known to the people of India be-
cause of the large penal settlement
which the English government maintains
at Port Blair, but the Nicobarese are not
so we'll known.
The first acquaintances were made
with the natives on South Andaman and
Rutland. A little party was found be-
fore fire on the beach. There we're five
men and boys. three women. and three
children.
In this little company" says Mr..
Kloss. there proved to be the three
biggest men we ever saw among the
Andamanese; in height they stood
feet AS inches, 5 feet 3h inches. and
feet inches, respectively. Although
possibly little weak proportionately
in the legs. where the skin covering the
knee was so thickened and corrugated
of the party were well built and not
ungraceful, but spoiled in most cases by
a varying degree OF distension of the
abdomen; this state OF things is caused
by the immense amount of food they
Will, when possible. consume at a sit
ting"
On the Cinques and Little Andaman
the small size of the natives again was
noticeable. The author writes: Moth
ing impressed my mind more forcibly
than this sight of the racial diminutive-
ness of the Negrito race" Here the Ia
tives were only five feet in height As
for dress. there was an absence OF IT.
Both men and women cover themselves
with a thick wash Of reddish clay,
which. when fresh. gives them a very
striking appearance.
On January 20. 1901, one OF the Nico-
bar islands was reached. Some of the
ways of these islanders are most GU
rious and are thus described:
The starting point in life. and also the
IlGce OF departure. is for the Nieobarese
CT this village one and the same. for
rext to the house appointed for his birth
is another-the house OF pollution
10 which he is carried TO die, and yet a
few PAGES farther is the burial field,
with its group of grave posts, where the
body viii be slowed for a time Not for
long Will it rest even there. for in a few
years the skeleton will be disinterred
and cast into the jungle. the skull alone
u he had been a man of some import
ance in life. being allowed to find in
the grave an abiding place.
The people of Kar Nicobar ought to
be among the most contented In the
world Everyone lives on terms of per
feet equality with his neighbors Be-
yOnd occasional illnesses, they have no
cares or troubles. and there is abso-
lutely no struggle for existence. cocoa
nuts and pandanus, their staple food
being in such DrOfusion that child old
enough to climb a tree could support
himself without exertion.
Some half century ago this group OF
islands was notorious for the frequent
disasters occurring TO vessels calling
there" 1t was believed that the dis
appearance of vessels was due to cy-
clones. Then It was discovered that in
the vicinity OF Nankauri Harbor there
were pirates. VINO murdered the crews
Of many vessels calling to trade there
or 10 supply themselves with water.
Piracy in the Nicobars came to an end
with the occupation of Nankauri Har-
Dor by the Indian government in 1869
Previous TO that q punitive expedition
had been sent TO the Nicobars.
Anthropologically considered. there
are many curious problems concerning
the aborigines which yet await their
solution. As to the Andamanese. they
certainly are Of pure Negrito blood.
What is Of marked interest about these
people is that they have been apparently
isolated They build canoes. but It does
not look as II long voyages were at
tempted. Still the people were not lar
distant from the mainland and COM
paratively large Islands. Their combat
iveness may have helped their isolation.
Before the coming of the white men.
the tools Of the natives were those OF
the stone age. but there is nothing pc
culiar about that. Physically these An
damanese are far below the average
height. From a carefully prepared
series Of measurements about feet 10A
inches IS the average. They are well
built and fairly symmetrical.
The Nicobarese differ In their struc-
ture from the Andamanese. They show
more OF the Davidian strain. There is
evident some Malay mixture They are
little taller than the Andamanese Their
hair is luxuriant From such photo
Eraphs as are TO be seen. the Nico-
barese both men and women. must be
intensely ugly. The inhabitants OF all
these many islands will certainly be
swept off the face of the earth before
long. owing 10 the many diseases in
troduced Of foreign origin.