Art. XIX.—On the Andaman Islands and the Andamanese

Extract

With the exception of a casual mention by one of the ancient historians, nothing appears to have been known by the outside world, of the Andamanese; until Lieut. Blair, of the Indian Navy, was conducting a survey of the Andaman Islands at the close of the last century. A settlement was during his time temporarily established, first in the present Port Blair, then called Port Cornwallis, and afterwards in the present Port Cornwallis. This was, however, abandoned in a short time, owing to the unhealthiness of the climate, and with the exception of the reports of the masters of vessels, who from time to time touched at the Islands, and described the aborigines as ferocious cannibals of hideous aspect, and smeared with clay, nothing more was known of them until Dr. Mouatt, by order of Lord Canning, then Governor-General of India, went down to see about establishing a convict settlement there, and his work on the subject is the first really reliable authority we have. It is, however, necessarily far from being correct, as in a hasty tour round the Islands much information could not be gained, and, as I have often found, the first information one receives of these people is generally wrong.