Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 238

222
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ August, 1923
Another instance of such folk-etymology is the suggestion I have heard that South Anda. manese bdraij, 'a communal hut' is corrupted from the English barrack', convicts' barracks being prominent objects in Port Blair. Further, a former local officer, of great linguistic attainments and also idiosyncrasies, named de Roepstorff, who was murdered in tragic cir. cumstances at the Nicobars in 1883, suggested that the South Andaman ridi for the name of a slender bamboo (Bambusa nana) was the English reed'. He did not believe in the existence of the Jarawas and used to say that the name merely perpetuated the Hindustani jharuwald,
gentleman of the broom, scavenger !'99 It is interesting to find Mr. Brown in the same company and this little history supports my point of the importance of knowing the language concerned when criticising others versed in one's own field of observation.
With reference to the Andamanese beliefs as to the phenomena of nature, sun and moon and so on, Mr. Brown makes a remark (p. 141): "Before relating in detail what could be learnt about their beliefs on these matters, it is necessary to call attention to one feature in these beliefs. Different statements, not only of different informants, but even of the same informant, are often quite contradictory . . . Many examples of such contradictions will be found in what follows, and it is important to point out their existence beforehand." And again on p. 158: "Any attempt to reconcile the statements of different men or of the same men on different occasions can only produce a false impression of the real condition of the native beliefs, and therefore the statements are kept separate, and each one is given as it was taken down." I heartily agree with these excellent sentiments, but unfortunately Mr. Brown does not act on his principles. On p. 205 he gives two out of three of Mr. Man's versions of the fire legend, and proceeds to say that “this [the second) legend contains an obvious contradiotion (of the first]. i.There is the possibility, however, that this inconsistency is due not to the natives themselves, but to Mr. Man's transcription." Apparently, therefore, an argument that applies when Mr. Brown's informants disagree is not to apply when Mr. Man's contradict themselves. Next, on p. 140 he writes : "Mr. Man's account of the spirits of the jungle and sea contains an important error, which needs to be pointed out." He is equally emphatic at some length in differing from Mr. Man in certain points of detail about the spirits of the sea. Any one who will read his pages on these points will perceive that the "important error" to which he draws attention arises out of the versions of the story he procured from a different tribe being not in accord with Mr. Man's. Why, on Mr. Brown's own principles in such a case, should his story be right and Mr. Man's wrong? Why should not both be right as a matter of statements taken down from different natives of different tribes at different times, in fact a whole generation-30 years—apart, in different circumstances? We are re. minded here, too, once more forcibly, of Mr. Man's experience and Mr. Brown's inexperi. ence as a witness. Also, are we to suppose that Mr. Brown does not acknowledge that even 'civilised' people of high education would on questioning be found to differ profoundly as to the “Unseen World" and the “ Powers of Darkness”?
The above are not isolated instances of Mr. Brown's attitude. On p. 108 we find that "Mr. Man states that in cases of tree-burial they are careful not to select a fruit tree or one of a species used for the manufacture of their canoes, bows and other implements. Such natives as I questioned said that this was not so and that they would use any suitable tree whether one that was useful or not. I was unable definitely to prove this point, as I did not see a single instance of tree-burial during my stay in the islands." Perhaps in his short stay this was so, when we remember the diminution of population that had taken place. But Mr. Man knew of several instances, and so for that matter did the present writer. Now it is a fair question to ask-who is the more likely to be right about this matter : the old stager with his great knowledge of the language and its speakers, or the youngster with his little
93 800 leo my remarks in The Lord's Prayer in the S. Andaman Language, p. 60, on his deriva. tion of boringada, good, from the English very good, the Andaman050 word being 'booringa (da).