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JUXE, 1895.)
CATALOGUE OF NICOBARESE OBJECTS.
171
portions of the jungle of Katchal Island), and various others. They are generally placed or suspended in the but, but a few are sometimes to be seen in front of the huts. The object of these representations of animals, birds, and fishes is to invoke their assistance and good-will in the endeavour of the menlūana to discover the whereabouts of the offending spirits, and to alarm the latter with the appearance of these eftigies in the event of their venturing to repeat their visits. Henta-kõi are to be seen principally in the Central Group, less commonly in the Southern Group, and rarely at Teressa, and Chowra, and never at Car Nicobar, where the models of ships stuck on posts on the foreshore during the trading-seasons must not be mistaken for an analogous practice, those effigies being used with the object of attracting trading-vessels to their coasts at such times as they have accumulated
large quantities of cocoanuts for export. 166 (m). Hentā- kõi-kalang. A carved fish-eagle; one of the most common effigies used for
the above purpose (vide No. 165). 167 (m). Hentā. Paintings, punctured sketches on Areca spathe screens, or carvings on
boards. They are somewhat ambitions in design, containing sometimes 7 or 8 pictures on a single screen, but ordinarily only 3 or 4. In the former, a representation of the sun surmounts the whole, or the sun and moon are represented at the top right and left corners. The Creator (Dēuse) is depicted as standing dressed in some quaint garb; on either side of him are usually shewn various weapons, imple. ments, and articles in daily use. In the sketch below him are seen huts, cocoanuttrees, birds, and sometimes men and women; below these domestic animals and poultry; below these again a row of men and women dancing; next come ships and canoes in full sail; and, lowest of all are represented various descriptions of fishes, with the invariable merman or mermaid, and crocodile. When first made, and at subsequent times of sickness, the hentā is called hentā-kõi-hentā. They are made and used in the Central and Southern Groups and at Teressa; but only in the Central Group are representations of Dąuse (the Creator) ever introduced. The object supposed to be served by the hentā is, as in the case of the other similar carvings and paintings, to gratify che good spirits (iwi-ka), and frigbten away the
demons (iwi-pòt, etc.) 168 (.). Hentā-ta-òidya. This is a single representation on a board or Areca spathe of the
Creator, and serves the purposes of a hentā. Its name implies that the carving is carried through the board or spathe and does not consist of mere puncturing, or
paintings, on one side of the surface of the material employed. 169 (m). Hengüingashi-heng. A hentā representing the sun with a human face and eight
"arms," between which are sewn his children (called moshaha), to whom is attributed the faint light at dawn. The object of this and the next item
(honyüingashi-kahā) is the same as that of other hontās. 170 (m). Hengüingashi-kahá. A hentā representing the moon, in which Dēuse (the Creator)
is depicted as holding a wine-glass in the right-hand : on his left side are usually shewn a pair of coconnut-shell water-vessels (hishöya, No. 33), a lantern, Fandanus-pastu board (shala-larom, No. 118), a basket (chūkai, No. 88), an Arecaspathe mat, and pillow, also weapons, spoons, table, chairs, etc. : on the right side of the central figure are generally shewn a watch, telescope, boatswain's whistle, various spears (vide Nos. 11 to 27), spathe mat (No. 51), table and decanters. Only in the Central Group is Dāuse depicted in the above manner. This is probably due to the fact of Missionaries in this and the last century having laboured longer in that portion of the islands than elsewhere.
