Indian Antiquary Vol 59

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

Page 278

84
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ JANUARY, 1930
With extreme caution the Andainanese advanced, and on the summit sure enough was the big Járaws camp. The Andamanese call the place Poohang, and it was as far as I can judge five miles from the mouth of Dum-la-chorag-jig Creek. We advanced to the hut and found it empty. After seeing the substantial hunting huts erected by the Jarawas in the jungle, I had been prepared for a big house, but I never expected such a large, well constructed building. It was roughly oval in shape, the length being 60 feet and the breadth 40 feet, while it was 54 yards in circumference. Seven stout posts in a rough circle in the centre of the house were the main supports of the roof. These were about 17 feet in height, and some were 8 inches in diameter, and all were barked and smoothened. Rafters stretch. ed from these to bullies (posts] on the outer circle, where the roof sloped to about 3 feet from the ground. Except that it had no floor it was quite as good as an ordinary Shan or Karen houso in Burma, and was large enough to contain from 80 to 100 people.
From the top of the roof, between the 7 centre posts, were suspended, on strips of cane 9 or 10 feat long, over 250 pig skulls, neatly fastened up in basket work. Below the skulls was the big fire-place, around the sides of the hut were the smaller fire-places, evidentls ased by separate families. There were about half-a-dozen of these, but when the house is in full occupation there would be at least a dozen. Each fire-place consists of four stakes driven into the ground. Between these the fire is lighted, and some 3 feet from the ground
piece of neat matting like a chick [Indian matting] is fastened to the stakes so as to form a shelf for the meat, etc. A dozen well made vessels, which the Andamanese said were honey pots, were suspended from the rafters, as well as baskets of all sizes, unstrung bows, leaf water vessels, and other things. The thatching was decorated with bunches of leaves like fans used in their dances, and of these there were hundreds. Several children's bows were found, also wooden balls for thein to play with, and a rough circular piece of wood which the Andamanese said was rolled along, and into which they shot their arrows. There was #large dégchi (saucepan) made out of a tree trunk fitted into one of the honey pots, and neatly-worked mats used as shelves for the food, and also I think to sit on. Among other things I discovered a glass bottle, and it is worthy of note that they had a stock of firewood chopped and tied up with cane ready for use in one corner of the building.
The house was on the summit of a hill, and there were seven paths leading up to it. All were well cleared at their opening on to the hill and each could be commanded by a man with a bow and arrow. Over two of the entrances were raised platforms of logs sloping from the ground to about 3 feet in height. These were the look-outs and each commanded a path, and my own impression is that when the camp is in habitation, over cach path a similar platform is erected, and cach path is thus well commanded. The main approach lead. ing due north was as well cleared as a Forest Department road, and must bave been 15 yards broad at the exit from the camp. Large trees had been felled and saplings cut a foot from the ground, and around the hut the grass had been cleared as carefully as at a jungle pongyi. kuzun Buddhist monastery) in Burma. They had even taken the trouble to cut down several large treas, ons quite 5 feet in diameter, evidently to have a view of the next ridge. In fact so much vare had been taken both in the building of the house, and the clearing of the precincte, and so well were both done, that it is difficult to believe that savages have been able to do this unaided.
The Andamanege say there is another, possibly two similar huts to this. They say that the whole Jarawa tribe collects in one of these in the rains. I am rather doubtful thyself whether the whole tribe could occupy the house; I rather think they under-rato