Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 58
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ DECEMBER, 1929
At 5 P.M. I landed with Captain Pryce, I. M., Lieutenant-Colonel Roberts, and Mr. Murray, Chief Engineer of the Kwangtung. I had with me as an interpreter Kojio Kai, and two of the Great Andamanese, Reala and Dakld. Unfortunately I had no presents, they having been lost in the canoes. We were received on the shore by about 25 people, among whom were many women and children, and they were all unarmed except two men who had adzes. They were very greedy for presents and tried to loot the boat, but were prevented by Kojio Kai and myself. Mr. Murray, however, gave them an iron bucket, which they had taken and I had recovered from them. They embraced Kojio Kai, and we all walked along the shore together taking two khalasis (Indian messengers). After we had proceeded about 200 yards, Captain Pryce drew our attention to some fish on the beach, and he with Lieutenant-Colonel Roberts and Mr. Murray stopped to look at them. I was a few paces behind talking to the Onges by whom we were surrounded. Suddenly I heard a thud, and Mr. Murray cried out 'I am killed.' I turned and saw Mr. Murray on his knees on the sand, the blood streaming from a wound on the back of his head, and a tall Önge standing just behind him with a large adze in his hands. The attack was quite an unprovoked ong, and from the fact that the women and children were present and none of the other Önges were armed, I consider it to have been unpremeditated and without the approval of the others, who immediately began to retire. Kojio Kai called to me to shoot the Önge, but none of us had any arms, and we all went off to the boat, Captain Pryce and a khaldsi sup. porting Mr. Murray, and Colonel Roberts waiting in the rear to see if the man was going to attack us again. He did not attempt to do so, and the Onges all went and sat down at the landing-place. We returned to the Kwangtung, and I asked Captain Pryce to arm all the Europeans and place them at my disposal. He did so and ordered away two boats. I also took with me Tômiti, Tahlai, and Kojio Kai. On nearing the shore, I sent Toniti and Tahlai to see if the man who hit Mr. Murray was still there. Colonel Roberts, who kindly consented to take charge of the armed party, covered them from the boat.
They talked to the women for a minute, and then called out to me that the man had run away. I, however, saw a man with an adze in his hand sitting on the right, away from the others, and I asked Kojio Kai if this was the man. He said it was and called out to 1 omiti, who with Tahlai seized the man and dragged him into the boat, having first snatched the adze out of his hand. None of the other Önges attempted to rescue him or to offer any resistance. Our prisoner was secured and taken on board the Kwangtung. The Chief Com. missioner, who had meantime returned in the Ross, directed me to have the man secured and taken to the Ro88. Mr. Murray, under the charge of Mr. Jackson, apothecary of the Kwangtung, was also taken on board the Ro88 for the purpose of being conveyed to Port Blair for medical treatment, his wound being a serious one, the Kwangtung returning to the Nicobars. On the following morning six Onges appeared on the beach, and I sent Tômiti and Tahlai aghore with some presents for them, and to explain that we intended to take him to Port Blair.
We then proceeded to Jackson Opeek on the West Coast, where the Chief Commissioner and Mr. Metcalfe landed and gave some presents to the Onges, and we then went on into Bamila Creek where we anchored for the night. Our interpreters were landed here and loaded with presents, and on the 11th we returned to Port Blair, bringing with us the prisoner whose name proved to be Kobed & Rate, an inhabitant of Gajége, a village on the south-west coast of the Little Andaman. Until the interpreters left he did not seem to realize his posi. tion, but during the night of the 10th after they went away, he twice managed to free his hands from the handcuffs, and once, although his feet were manacled together, slipped overboard and tried to swim on shore, but was at once caught by one of the other Andamanese. He went to live under the Chief Conimissioner's house guarded by Andamanese and seems fairly well. It would, in my opinion, be advisable, should he continue in good health, to keep him for some months in Part Blair, until he has learnt to obey our orders and appreciate our power,
