Indian Antiquary Vol 59

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

Page 282

58
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(FEBRUARY, 1930
had not long been vacated. The Andamanese say there must have been a lot of people there, both men, women and children. Two fresh pigs' skulls were tied up to bamboos, some pieces of half-burnt leaves used for roasting the meat were found and also some on ps made of leaves and bamboo water vessels. The fires were arranged more or less in a circle, and some bunches of leaf sticks said to be used for dancing were also found. All the wood was collected and placed in a heap in the centre of the camp and two or three bamboog cut and placed over the heap to show that we had been there. There were no shelters put up.
At 8.50 A.m., a little further on, we came upon an old camp which showed no signs of having been used recently. Some decayed shelters and two decayed fishing baskets were found, but nothing else. The Andamanese then followed up the trail for a short distance and then lost it. They had absolutely lost all traces of the Jarawas at 9-30 A.M. We then followed a stream running north till 10-10 A.M. and the Andamanese then took us up a hill to the east, where they said they thought the permanent camp of the Jarawas would be found. We reached the top of the ridge at 10-40 A.M. It is probably a spur from Ját Ang Hill, but we found no trace of any Járawas. From 10-40 to 11 A.M., we went north and west on the flank of the spur and halted from 11 to 11.15 A.M. We then followed up a stream flowing south till we came to the water-parting of it and a stream flowing north.
30th January 1902.-As the Andamanese were wandering about aimlessly I then took them in hand and directed the line of march to the west along a spur running east and west, and at 12-20 we reached a large stream flowing south, where we halted till 2 P.M.
We then proceeded due west and crossed another ridge, reaching another stream flow. ing north and south at 2-40 P.M. At 2-55 P.M. we reached a small stream (going weat the whole time) running south-east, which soon fell into a large stream with lots of water in it flowing north and south. We left this strean at 3 P.m., and reached (going west) the top of a steep hill at 3-25 P.m., and saw a high ridge running apparently north-west and southeast to the east of us. We halted here till 3-30 P.m., and then again went west down a steep slope and then along a stream till 4 P.M. We then went south along this stream for a short distance. In the stream we found a dry cane, which was lying in the stream and had been cut with some outting instrument and soon met a large winding stream flowing west, where we pitched our camp at 4-10 P.M. The stream had large fish, 8 to 10 inches long, in it, and the water was perfectly fresh and nice.
31st January 1902.-The camp was undisturbed at night. We left camp at 7-30 A.M., and went up a steep spur going west with a little south in it. At 7-50 A.M. going west with a little south we crossed another stream flowing south with water in it; til 8-5 A.M., we went up steep uphill and then halted for 10 minutes to let the baggage coolies catch us up at 8-30 A.M. we reached the top of the hill. An Andamanese here olinibed a tree and said that he could not see the sea, but that there was another high ridge to be crossed to the west and another high peak to the south-west from which he thought we should get a good view, and he wanted to go to the peak to the south-west and not that to the west. This I consented to and started again at 8-40 A.M., going south-west and reached another hill at 8-15 A.M. From this the peak was said to be visible, so we went on down the flank of the hill. I observed the Andamanese and found that they were not going south. west, but had turned to the west and then again to the north and were going up the hill we had just come down ! Only on a different spur of it.
This proved to me conclusively the futility of allowing the Andamanese to guide our movements, so I stopped them about 9.15 A.m., and we had a talk. They then confessed that they knew nothing about finding their way in the forest and had (80 they said) never had to find their way in one. I asked them if they could take me back to Jatang and they said no, they could not do so. So after some consideration I came to the conclusion that it was not wise to go further west and that I had better try and guide the party back to Jatang.