COAST OF THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS.
The general direction of the ship was toward the south-west. The captain told the boys that on the morning of the second day out they would pass the Andaman Islands, but would not stop there; the Andaman Islands, he explained, were a long narrow group that extended nearly parallel to the coast, and belonged nominally to British India, though only a few of them had been occupied. "The remarkable things about these islands," he continued, "are the inhabitants. They are different from any other known race in the world, and their language has no resemblance to that of any part of India or the peninsula of Malacca.
"They are small in stature, being rarely more than five feet in height, and they have slender limbs, woolly hair, flat noses and thick lips, so that they resemble the negro more than any other race. Their skins are black, and the only clothing they wear is a thick plastering of mud, which they put on to prevent the insects biting them. When it cracks, or becomes worn in spots, a fresh roll in the mud gives them a new suit of clothes, and I doubt if there is any place in the world where a man can be clad more cheaply than in these islands, provided he follows the fashions of the natives. They never cultivate the soil, but live entirely by fishing; and one of their favorite amusements is to paint their faces with red ochre."
Frank thought it would be very interesting to have a look at this strange people, but the captain shook his head, and continued:
"They will not hold any intercourse with strangers, and whenever a ship goes there the natives flee to the interior. If a ship is wrecked on the coast, and the crew falls into the hands of the natives, they are usually killed; it need to be said that the natives were cannibals, and for a long time the story was believed; but later investigation shows that it is untrue. But their bad reputation and strange appearance caused it to be reported that the people of the Andaman Islands were monsters; in the time of Marco Polo this story was current, and the dog-headed men of Angamanain, of which he writes, are generally believed to have been the inhabitants of the Andaman Islands."
As the captain had predicted, the islands were visible at daylight on the second morning; Frank and Fred were up early to have a look at them, and, while they steamed steadily onward, the boys indulged in numerous speculations as to the strange region of the world they were now in.
Suddenly the first officer of the ship called to them to see a curiosity. The inspection of the islands was abruptly terminated, and the boys went to where the officer was standing.
The men were occupied with their daily task of washing the deck of the steamer; half a dozen were busily scrubbing with old brooms and "swabs," and two were engaged in hoisting water over the ship's side by means of a large bucket. At the last haul the bucket had brought up a snake that was wriggling about on the deck in the hope of getting away, and he kept opening and closing his mouth as though he would like to revenge himself on somebody or something by a bite.
Fred observed that the men kept at a respectful distance from the snake, as though they were afraid of him; consequently, he followed their example, and did not venture closely.
"Here's a sea-serpent for you," said the officer. "If you want him you're welcome."