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268
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1897.
writer describes as seen by him "stark naked and looking the veriest savage imaginable, darting head-foremost from his canoe, and catching the fish with his hands, as only these islanders can. According to their ideas any fool can plunge into the water and seize a single passing fish, but what does require skill is to plunge and come up with two large fish, the forefinger and thumb of each hand firmly fixed in the eye-sockets of a different fish. This, the Nicobarese hold to be something like fishing, and in still water you can hardly keep a Nicobarese in the canoe if he chances to spy two good-sized fishes passing below in such relative positions as to render this feat practicable."
It may safely be asserted that it has never entered the imagination of a Nicobarese even to meditate, much less attempt, the performance of such a feat as that described with such vraisemblance.
From the fact that, with the exception of the Shom-Pei, tribe, the villages of the Nicobarese are situated either on the coast or in close proximity thereto, their children as might naturally be supposed, frequently disport themselves in the shallow water in front of their huts, thereby gradually acquiring a certain degree of confidence and learning to swim and dive without actual instruction from their seniors.
In the absence, however, of any necessity or other incentive to attain excellence in the art, there exists in this easy-going, indolent race little or no spirit of emulation, such as might prompt them at least to strive to acquire a reputation for skill. No swimming races, or games in which swimming enters, are practised amongst them. From their statements it seems that they are chiefly deterred from frequent swimming and diving by their dread of sharks which have, though on rare occasions, been known to attack and wound some unfortunate of their acquaintance.
As a result it is found that but few among them will venture to swim further than about a quarter of a mile, and then only owing to some emergency or for some coveted prize; and, if any greater distance were attempted, the man would be deemed foolhardy, who omitted to provide himself with a small buoyant log such as a billet of Sterculia alata37 wherewith to assist him in keeping himself afloat. They never attempt to remain under water a long time, and the idea of competing with others in doing this would scarcely suggest itself to any of them.
Thongh swimming on the breast, on the side, and on the back are methods known and prac tised by some, the most common mode of progression is the hand-over-hand stroke. The only known occasion on which a member of the inland tribe of Great Nicobar (Shom-Pen) was seen to swim and that for a few yards only - he shewed himself to be a complete novice in the art by imitating the action of a dog in the water.
Even among the coastmen there are some who neglect to acquire the art or, having acquired it in their youth, rarely (if ever) practise it in later years. As may be supposed, among the women the accomplishment is possessed in a still less degree, due presumably to the fact that in their case the need of its exercise is rarely experienced.
When a Nicobarese has occasion to dive to a depth of ten feet or less, he jumps into the water feet foremost, but on the comparatively rare occasions that some among them dive to such a depth as three or four fathoms as when desirous of securing a Tridacna which they have espied, or of recovering a dá or other valued object, which has fallen overboard - they take a header. On no occasions do they take weights in order to assist them in descending more rapidly and easily.
No. 5. Astronomy.
In writing about the Nicobarese, Fontana28 (cir. 1778) expressed his belief that "the idea of years and months and days is unknown to them, as they reckon by moons only, of which they number fourteen, seven to each monsoon." This statement, however, requires some modification.
27 Of this wood the outriggers of their ca.1oes are constructed, 28 Asiatic Researches, Yol. III., Art. VII.
