The Sun. — 1859-09-23 (London, England)

TILE ANDAMAN ISLANDS.  Among the recent " Selections from the Records of the Government of India" is a remarkably interesting series of papers on the Andamans. In obedience to instructions from the Court of Directors, the Indian Government appointed a committee on the 20th Nov., 1857, to examine the above-named  group of islands, " with a view to the selection of a site for the establishment of a penal settlement." The Commissioners were Dr. Mouat, Inspector of Jails, Dr. Playfair, and Lieut. Heathcote, I.N.' and the result proved that better men could not have been selected for the purpose. Though " placed in the track of one of the greatest commercial high ways of the world," these islands have only been known as the fabled haunts of cannibals, and as a  statio male fida carinis. Itnow appears that there is every reason to question the man-eating propensities of the poor savages, though there is no doubt as to their having massacred all shipwrecked mariners who fell into their hands, and,perhaps, burnt their bodies. A party of islanders was, indeed, once seen gathered about a fire, over which a human body was being consumed, but it was already too much charred to be fit for food. The inhabitants  are actually dwarf negroes, though how they tame there cannot be ascertained, a nd•few of them exceed  five feet in stature. For the most part they are a sturdy and well-built race, and ready to do battle against all comers. It has been suggested, and  with much probability, that their extreme ferocity towards strangers arises rather from desperation than from natural barbarism, as the Burmese and  others hare frequently been in the habit of landing on the islands and carrying off the wretched savages into captivity. The natives are too ignorant to distinguish between different nations, and thus regard all foreigners as their sworn foes. They are, moreover, an indolent and improvident people. They know nothing of agriculture, and live chiefly on shell-fish. Sometimes they secure a few fish by shooting them with a bow and arrows, but they seem to have no idea of catching them with a hook and line. Nets, however, are occasionally used, and in stormy weather they have recourse to rats and wild pigs, the only animals found in the islands. Even birds are rare, owing to the scarcity of fresh water, though it may be found at a very short depth below the surface. There is no trace of agricultural operations, and the primeval forest remains in a state of nature. "Their huts," we are told, "are rude and open on all sides. In general they consist of four posts, the two anterior being much higher than the two posterior ones, which are close to the ground. The former varied from three or four to about ten feet in height. The thatch generally consisted of a few palm leaves lightly bound together and overlapping each other. In every village there were one or two huts of larger dimensions, some 12 or 14 feet square, with well-thatched roofs plaited on a rattan frame. One quadrangular hut was seen, supported on corner posts, with the eaves of the thatch within a foot and a-half of the ground. Most of the others were quite open in front and at the sides, the rear being protected by the thatch reaching nearly to the ground." These huts are often decorated with skulls of pigs, tortoises, and fish. But neither men nor women were half so much adorned. With the exception of a coating of red clay daubed on the top of the head and the anterior part of the chest they were entirely naked, even to every hair being shaved off. To such a degree do they carry their horror of hirsute appendages, that a deserter, having fallen into their hands, had his head shaven with a piece of bottle glass, but was otherwise well treated. Their only weapons are bows and arrows, the latter barbed with iron, and going straight to a mark at 40 yards' distance, but in no instance has poison been discovered. Their canoes are laboriously excavated by means of a small adze with a woollen head, in which is fixed a semicircular blade of iron beaten out. The nautilus-shell serves these simple islanders as a drinking-cup, and all their household implements are of the most primitive kind. The only vegetable food found in their huts was the fruit of the mangrove, a large leguminous beau sliced in shreds and soaked in fresh water' in a small closely-woven net, and wild spinach. As to their numbers, nothing could be ascertained, but in all likelihood they do not exceed a few hundreds. It is painful to think that utter extermination almost certainly awaits these wretched barbarians. Off Interview Island one was captured by the expedition and taken to Calcutta, but as ho almost immediately sickened he was sent back with an ample supply of carpenters'tools, knives, cotton cloth, thread, cords, axes, metal pots and pans, beads, looking-glasses, and objects of savage finery. It is not stated, however, if anything has since been heard of this messenger of peace, or even if he survived to reach his native shores. At present a penal settlement has been established at Port Blair, in South Andaman, and, according to Dr. Walker, with every prospect of success. It must be acknowledged, however, that that gentleman appears to entertain peculiar notions on the subject of convict treatment. His " unequalled experience of the management of Hindostani prisoners," as he himself modestly says, encouraged him to undertake to provide for 10,000 convicts per annum for at least five consecutive years. But a little further on our wonder is abated by the significant statement that out of '773 convicted landed between the 10th of March and the 12th of June, 1858, there remained in custody en the 16th Juno no more than 481. Of the others, 64 died in hospital, 140 effected their escape, 1 committed suicide, and 87 were executed. We observe, however, that the Calcutta papers received by the last mail report Dr. Walker's "resignation"—the Government having failed to appreciate his unequalled experience.'—Allen's Indian Nazi.