________________
286
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ OCTOBER, 1921
The Canoe was some months on its journey; but at last it reached Chowra. Some one found it and carried it off. · As soon as the foreigners who live at Chowra saw it, they said : " Perhaps there is some small country over yonder, and this small canoe has been made by those people and laden with yams. Come, let us in our turn) lade it with a tiny cooking-pot and some kui-lõi. 35
So the tiny canoe was sent off again, this time in the direction of our country; and it duly arrived with its cargo of a small cooking-pot and some kui-loi; and the people of these parts found it and carried off the cargo.
“What can we make of this? Perhaps it would do to boil water in, to cook our food," said they, as they examined the cooking-pot. So they put some water into it and it did not leak. They then put it on the fire and heated the water; the pot did not crack or leak. Then they put some food into it and cooked it.
Then they remarked one to another: "Perhaps there will be some big ones too, where this little cooking-pot came from ; so let us go in our canoes and find out ; for we are badly in want of something to cook our food in."
So, after some months, the people here again sent off the toy canoe, and took their own Canoes and followed it ; and in due course came to Chowra. But they were just missing the way and going on to Luro6,36 when the people of Chowra saw them, and beckoned to them to come ashore there. So they went ashore there, and purchased big cooking-pots as their cargo for the return journey.
From that time onwards, the peoples of Car Nicobar and Chowra have been great friends, or especially associated together; and we regularly take goods there, wherewith to buy our cooking pots. The above was the very first trip ever made to Chowra.
XVIII.-THE STORY OF THE MAN KILFEUT. There was once a man who went out, as others had done, in his canoe to a ship, to barter nuts for bread, etc. He arrived at the wrong time, just as the ship was making prepara. tions to depart; and before he was aware of it, he had got left behind on the ship, and had to remain there ; for all his comrades had gone, and had taken all the cances with them.
His friends afterwards sought for him in vain ; but his parents for long still expected him to turn up; but as months and years passed by, they began to feel, " He is surely dead."
Meanwhile, Kilfeat was being carried away to the land of strange foreigners, where he remained a long time, supporting himself by fishing from a boat. He was successful as a fisherman and got comfortably off, and had plenty of money to spend. He also stayed long enough there in the foreigners' land to get married, and to have two children, a boy and a girl, who indeed were now grown fairly big.
One day, however, he got very anxious to get back here to his native land, and he saw & boat which he dragged down into the water. He got together food for himself when he should be out in the open sea, and fresh water for drinking, and some clothing too ; and then he was off, leaving his wife and children behind.
He rowed out for some distance and then hoisted up the sails, and made for this island. It was difficult work, as he was the only one to row or to mind the sails; but after many days he was successful in getting here.
8. Agoncootion of yama, plantain and cocoanut, made and sold to-day by the people of Chowra. * Probably the old name of Ta-ra-sa, the next island southwards.
