CONTENTS

PART I

INTRODUCTION
PAGE
The Terrapin—Crew—Itinerary of the Cruise—Daily Routine—Provisionsand Supplies—Collecting Apparatus—Guns—Shooting—Path-making—Clothing—Head-dress—AScene in the Tropics—Native Indolence—AttractiveMemories[1]
CHAPTER I
Barren Island and the Archipelago[9]
Shipboard Monotony—Edible Sharks—Calm Nights—Squalls—BarrenIsland—Appearance—Anchorage—Landing-place—Hot Spring—Goats—TheEruptive Cone—Lava—Paths—Interior of the Crater—VolcanicActivity—Fauna—Fish—The Archipelago—Kwang-tung Strait—Path-making—TheJungle—Birds—Coral Reefs—Parrots—Two New Rats—Inhabitants.
CHAPTER II
Port Blair[19]
We enter the Harbour—Surveillance—Ross Island Pastimes—Visit the ChiefCommissioner—The Harbour—Cellular Jail—Lime-kilns—Phœnix Bay—Hopetown—Murderof Lord Mayo—Chatham Island—Haddo andthe Andamanese—Tea Gardens—Viper Island and Jail—The Convicts—Occupations—Punishments—Troops—Departure.
CHAPTER III
Macpherson Strait—South Andaman and Rutland Island[28]
Gunboat Tours—South Andaman—Rutland Island—Navigation—Landing-place—NativeCamp—Natives—Jungle—Birds—Appearance of theNatives—Our Guests—Native Women: Decorations and AbsurdAppearance—Trials of Photography—The Village—Food—Bows,Arrows, and Utensils—Barter—Coiffure—Fauna—Water—New Species.
CHAPTER IV
The Cinques and Little Andaman[36]
Position of the Cinques—Anchorage—Clear Water—The Forest—BeachFormation—Native Hut—Little Andaman—BumilaCreek—Natives—Flies—PersonalDecoration—Dress and Modesty—Coats of Mud—Coiffure—Absenceof Scarification—Elephantiasis—A Visit to the Village—PeculiarHuts—Canoe—Bows and Arrows—The Return Journey—Aslight contretemps—Andamanese Pig—We leave the Andamans.
CHAPTER V
Kar Nicobar[44]
To the Nicobars—A Tide-race—A Change of Scene—Sáwi Bay—GeologicalFormation—V. Solomon—MūsVillage—Living-houses—Kitchens—Fruit-trees—TheNatives—Headman Offandi—"Town-Halls"—Death-house—MaternityHouses—Hospitals—Floods—"Babies'Houses"—Birds—Oil Press—Canoes—Offandi—"Friend ofEngland"—"FrankThomson"—"Little John"—Thirst for Information—Natives'Nick-names—Mission School Boys' Work—A Truant—TheAdvantage of Canoes—A Spill—Our Method of Landing—CollectingNative Birds—A New Bat—Coconuts—V. Solomon—The Nicobareseand Christianity—Water—Area of KarNicobar—Geology—Flora—Supplies.
CHAPTER VI
Tilanchong[66]
Batti Malv—Tilanchong—Novara Bay—Terrapin Bay—Form and Area ofTilanchong—Birds—Megapodes—A Swamp—Crocodile—MegapodeMound—Wreck and Death of Captain Owen, 1708—Leave Tilanchong—FoulGround—Kamorta.
CHAPTER VII
Trinkat[73]
Beresford Channel—A Deserted Village—Jheel—Bird Life—WildCattle—Scenery—Photographs—PortRegisters—Tanamara—Population—Customs—TheShom Peṅ—The Sequel to a Death—Interior of theHouses.
CHAPTER VIII
Nankauri[78]
The Harbour Shores—A Village—Kanaia—Canoe—Feeding theAnimals—Collecting-ground—MangroveCreeks—Preparations for a Festival—BurialCustoms—Malacca Village—Houses—VisitTanamara—Furniture—Talismansand "Scare-devils"—Beliefs—Festivities—A Dance—AnEducated Native—Tanamara and hisRelations—Cigarettes—Refreshments—TheCollections—Geology—Flora—Population—Piracy.
CHAPTER IX
Kamorta[95]
The Old Settlement—The Cemetery—F.H. de Röepstorff—Mortality—Birds—TheHarbour—Appearance of Kamorta—Dring Harbour—Olta-möit—Buffalo—SpiritTraffic—Cookery—Ceremonial Dress—A Visit fromTanamara—Geology—Flora—Topography—Population—Hamilton'sDescription.
CHAPTER X
Kachal and Other Islands[103]
Heavy Surf—Teressa—Bompoka—A Native Legend—Hamilton—Chaura—Wizardry—Pottery—Kachaltypical of the Tropics—NicobareseDress—West Bay—Lagoon—Mangroves—Whimbrel—Formation ofKachal—Birds—Visitors to the Schooner—Fever—Chinese Junks—Thatch—Relics—TheReef—Megapodes—Monkeys—Full-dressedNatives—Medicine—A Death Ceremony—Talismans—Fish and Fishing—Geology.
CHAPTER XI
Little Nicobar and Pulo Milo[118]
A Tide-rip—Islets—A Cetacean—Pulo Milo—Timidity of the Natives—LittleNicobar—Geology—Flora—Population—Site for a Colony—JungleLife—Banian Trees—The Houses and their Peculiarity—TheNatives—Practices and Beliefs—The Shom Peṅ—The Harbour—Weascend a River—Kingfishers—Water—Caves—Bats and Swallows—Nests—AJungle Path—Menchál Island—Collections—Monkeys—Crabs.
CHAPTER XII
Kondul and Great Nicobar[131]
The Anchorage—The Island—Villages—We leave Kondul—Great Nicobar—Anchorage—Collecting—Upthe Creek—A Bat Camp—Young Bats—Tracesof the Shom Peṅ—Bird Life—Fish—Ganges Harbour—LandSubsidence—Tupais—We Explore the Harbour—A Jungle Pig—"Jubilee"River—Chinese Navigation—Rainy Weather—Kondul Boys—Coconuts—ChineseRowing.
CHAPTER XIII
Great Nicobar—West Coast[141]
Pulo Kunyi—Area of Great Nicobar—Mountains—Rivers—The Village—TheShom Peṅ—Casuarina Bay—An Ingenious "Dog-hobble"—Inthe Jungle—A Shom Peṅ Village—Men of the Shom Peṅ-A LazyMorning—The Shom Peṅ again—Their Similarity to the Nicobarese—Food—Implements—Cooking-vessel—TheDagmar River—CasuarinaBay—Pulo Nyur—Water—A Boat Expedition—The Alexandra River—ShomPeṅ Villages—Kópenhéat—More Shom Peṅ—Elephantiasis—PetMonkeys—Anchorage.
CHAPTER XIV
Great Nicobar—West and South Coasts[154]
"Domeat"—Malay Traders—Trade Prices—The Shom Peṅ Language—PlaceNames—Pulo Bábi—The Growth of Land—Climbing a PalmTree—Servitude—Population—Views on Marriage with the Aborigines—Towardsthe Interior—A Shom Peṅ Village—The Inhabitants—Canoe-building—Barter—TheWest Coast—South Bay—Walker Island—Chang-ngeh—Upthe Galathea River—Water—We leave the Nicobarsand sail to Sumatra.