Indian Antiquary Vol 58

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 374

42
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ DECEMBER, 1929
this storm the place secmod to become unhealthy, and from that time onward there has been a great deal of sickness amongst the Andamanese and convicts. I did not suffer much myself until January.
Owing to the heavy sea outside I was unable to go anywhere until the 24th, and the Andamailese continued cutting (out logs for] boats and catching turtle. On the 21h I visited Jackson Creek. The landing here was very difficult owing to the surf, and our boat was swamped. It is impossible to enter the creek as the sand has now silted up so much, and I landed on the north side of it. Several people met us and were given presents. I walked along the shore with them for some distance, and visited some sandstone caves, in which were the grass variety of edible birds'-nests. All the water here contains much lime, and stalactites are formed in the caves.
On the 26th I was visited by Her Majesty's Indian Marine S. Kwangtung, the Com. mander supplying me very kindly with such rations, etc., as I required. On the 29th I walked down the coast from Jackson Creek to Api Island and went some way into the interior. The people received us in a friendly manner, but were very greedy for presents, taking every thing they saw, not only out of the boats but even from the persons of my Andamanese, and seizing many articles which could be of no possible use to them. This behaviour I checked with the help of the interpreters I had brought down from Bûmila Creek, and the people soon began to obey my directions.
Much sickness having now set in, I returned to Port Blair with the worst cases on the lst December. There was a heavy sea and the Ross had a good opportunity of showing what a fine sea boat she is. Two Little Andamanese from the Ekudi village accomJanied me, one of whom, Kogio Kai, had been in Port Blair before as a captive in 1885. On the 4th December I returned to the Little Andaman (arriving there on the 5th) with some fresh convicts and Andamanese. The weather on the way back was even worse than what we had coming up. My absence, leaving a small party of convicts and Anda. manese on the Island, had been a good test of the work done, and I found on my return that the Little Andamanoge had been living with the party in my camp in the most friendly manner.
I was kept in the creek by bad weather until the 12th December, during which time the crew of the Ross were employed in cutting firewood in order to save coal, and the convicts and Andamanese went about with me inland and on the coast to the various villages. I also commenced a coast line survey of the Island with prismatic compass and chain. The Little Andamanese or Onges, as they call themselves, were constantly in camp and began to pick up a little Hindustani.
On the 12th and 13th I worked along the coast, surveying down to Toch Angêda, where my work was stopped by the heavy surf, so I began on the 15th to work E. and S. from the North Point of the Island. A curious incident oocurred on the 17th which will illustrate the influence I had already acquired over the neighbouring people. Kojio Kai, an Önge, told me that a man of his own tribe had stolen some knives belonging to us. I sent for the man, admonished him and forbade him to come to the camp. Tahlai, one of his own tribe, then escorted him to Tambe Ebui, and he has not since been allowed to visit us. The Ekadi people on another occasion behaved in a similar manner to some PAAlankweg, who had stolen some turtle spears, refusing to allow them to land near the clearing or visit us for several days.
By the 19th of December I had surveyed as far as Titaije, moeting many people of all sizes and sexes, who were very pleasant and friendly, and I then returned to Bumila Creek. beached the Ross, cleaned and painted her. Her Majesty's I.M.S. Nancowry called on the 21st, and on the 22nd I proceeded to Port Blair with the sick from my camp, and with nine