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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
Soon after the commencement of my studies I was fortunate in obtaining an introduction to the late Dr. A. J. Ellis, at that time President of the Philological Society (London). He kindly took an interest in my work and prepared for me alphabets suitable for committing to paper thọ tongues of the Andamanese and Nicobarese hitherto unwritten, except for a little book using the Indian (Jones-Hunter) system of transliteration published by myself and Sir R. C. Temple.
For the convenience of the reader I reproduce here, with a mondmouts necossary to suit the typography of this Journal, an abstract of the Andaman alphabet, as found on pp. 49-50 of.Dr. Ellis' Report above-mentioned, which formed part of his Presidential Address to the Philological Society in 1882 (vide Transactions 1882-3-4).
The Andamanese have been found to be divided into twelve tribes.speaking languages, which, though more or less distinct, are yet so closely allied as to form a group. The language to which this dictionary refers is the Aka-bea, or language of the South Andaman tribe.
Although the map shewing the position of each tribe with their respective tribal names has been already published in this Journal (vide Vol. XXVI, p. 217)-in order to illustrate Sir R. C. Temple's paper of 1907 above-quoted,-- it is thought desirable at this time to re-issue it as an accompaniment to this volume.
. EH. MAN. June 27th, 1918.
