Indian Antiquary Vol 54

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

Page 60

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
MARCH, 1926
REMARKS ON THE ANDAMAN ISLANDERS AND THEIR COUNTRY.
BY SIR RICHARD C. TEMPLE, BT., C.B., C.L.E., F.S.A. Chief Oommissioner, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, from A.D. 1894 to 1903.
(Oontinued from page 29.)
IV Brown's Andaman Islanders: Theories.
(1) Ceremonies. I now pass on to what Mr. Brown calls (p. 229) "an attempt to interpret some of the beliefs and customs of the Andaman Islanders, as they have been described in the earlier part of this work." It will be perceived that it is necessary, in dealing with the theories Mr. Brown works out upon his observations, to treat all the observations as correct, despite the criticisms to which I have hitherto subjected them.
He explains (p. 229) that "by the interpretation of a custom is meant the discovery, not of its origin, but of its meaning." He then launches out into his theories as to the meaning of the Andamanese customs, arriving, it will be seen, at novel results upon a novel system, though he does not claim novelty for it, as in a footnote (p. 325) he gives the honour of originating it to Prof. Emile Durkheim and Messrs. H. Habert and M. MAuss. He divides his interpretation into two long Chapters on "Andamanese Customs and Beliefs : Ceremonial" (pp. 229-329) and "Myths and Legends” (pp. 330-406). I propose now to follow him in these two Chapters.
Mr. Brown then explains his method, and here it is necessary to observe him closely in order to do justice to his argument. He continues (p. 229):
« To seek the origin of customs, as the word origin is here used, is to seek then know the details of the historical process by which they have come into existence. In the absence of all historical records, the most that we could do would be to attempt to make a hypothetical reconstruction of the past, which, in the present state of ethno. logical science, would be of very doubtful utility. It is otherwise with the meaning of customs.
And in regard to the term 'hypothetical reconstruction' he says: “the making of hypothetical reconstructions of the past has been regarded by a number of writers as the principal, if not the sole, task of ethnology. My own view is that such studies can never be of any great scientific value."
On p. 230, Mr. Brown goes on : " The problems that this chapter presents are therefore not historical but psychological or sociological. We have to explain why it is that the Andamanese think and act in certain ways. The explanation of each single custom is provided by showing what is its relation to the other customs of the Andamanese and to their general system of ideas and sentiments. Thus the subject of the present chapter is not in any way affected by questions of historical origin of the customs as they exist at the present dav Nor are we concerned with the comparison of the customs of the Andamanese with those of other savage races. Such comparisons are not only valueless for our purpose, but might be misleading."
He does not consider such a method to be " a true comparative method ... . What we used to compare is not institutions but serial systems and types." And he does not approve of separating description from interpretation, as "the field ethnologist has a great advantage over those who know the facts only second hand." He is however aware of the practical difficulties in the way of combining observation with interpretation, and says (p. 232)
I have tried to present the argument in such a way that the various steps of the ana. lygis shall be immediately apparent, so that the reader may be able not only to indge the value of the conclusions, but also to form a clear idea of the psychologioal methods by which they are reached. Any attempt to explain or interpret particular