The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-02-26


L are a fruitful field of research
for ethnolOgists and other sci.
entists, and would be of great interest
to anyone of intelligence. However,
the archipelago is not easy to reach,
and the average tourist might not find
such accommodation as he is used to.
Recently DR.. W. l.. Abbott, an ex'
plorer, made trip to the Nicobars
and brought back to the National mu-
scum in Washington images carved in
wood, the votive offerings made by the
natives to ward off disease and bad
luck. If a gentleman of Nicobar is
seriously ill, says R. L. Honeyman, in
Grit, the first and most important
thing for him to do is to make some
sort of an image The object to be
represented is chosen at random, ap.
parently. 1t may be a chicken or
man or a lizard, but it must be big
image and the workmanship must be
artistic, else the spirits will not &C.
cept it at all. Once it Is finished the
spirit takes possession and the former
owner Of the sick spirit is made well
at once-at least that is the way it is
supposed to work out.
Many trading vessels stop at the ar.
chipelago to buy cocoanuts, and the
natives show great curiosity in regard
to whatever they find on board. In ex.
change for cocoanuts they receive
knives, cloth, guns, ammunition, to.
bacco, cutlasses and rum. Also they
set high value upon plated spoons
and soup ladies', which they hang up
in their houses as ornaments.
The cutlasses they use to cut the
cocoanuts. They have extensive plan.
tations of cocoanut trees, and their
chief occupation is the gathering and
transportation Of the fruit. Men and
boys climb the trees to cut down the
nuts, which, as they fall, are gath.
cred by the women and tied in pairs
with strips of bark. The nuts are
then flung across bamboos and carried
to the beach on the backs of the
women.
Natives Honest and Proud.
On the arrival of a trading vessel
the natives swarm on board, select the
articles they want and take them
away, STIMULATING to pay a certain
number of cocoanuts on a certain day
delivered at the beach. Such promises
are invariably fulfilled, notable trait
J Of the Nicobarese being their honesty
But in no way can they be persuaded
to help in the work of drying the
cocoanut meat" for which purpose
the traders are forced to bring labor
. ers from elsewhere.
The natives are extremely proud
J and will not endure to be treated as
servants or interiors. They make 6
very strong, sweet toddy from cocoa
nut milk, but they much prefer thu
English rum. They are not drunkards
however, and only on the great annua
/ feast is intoxication general.
i, Many attempts have been made t,
/, COLOMBO the Nicobar islands, but with
l out success, owing to the deadly ma
: larial fever which prevails. For tn
same reason missionary efforts hav
A failed, and the only record of evangeli
l. cal effort is solitary Bible, owned b.
a man who uses 1t as a pillow, regard
ing it as a fetish The people ar
very dark, with straight hair fallin
to their shoulders, but the men shaw
d their heads as sign of mourning. T
D some extent they are able to use thei
g feet as hands, employing their big to
I as thumb for grasping, and rarel
g bending to pick up any small obiee
s from the ground.
l. Inc dress Of the men consists of
D. string around the waist from whic
are hung snake skins, bird nlumag
shells and boar tusks. But the chief
or head men, in the presence ,
L. strangers, adopt more elaborate a.
!. parel' according to the extent Of the
II possessions in old clothes which the
IL nave received in barter from tn
l. traders. Plug hats are in snecial d
% mand' and the fortunate possessor
ST one OF these may be seen struttir
n ABOUT with great self.complacenc
though the remainder of his costun
may consist of nothing but the b
feathered string.
Is Houses Like seehive..
1T The houses of the natives are con
10 shaped or like beehives, supported {
1t tall poles, so that one can wa,k unde
In meath The roof is matched with ma
III and the sides of the dwelling are
u bamboo laced together Entrance
obtained by movable bamboo ladde,