East of British India and south of Cochin-China in the Bay of Bengal are the Andaman Islands, on which the Mincopies live. They are small in stature, black or dark brown, with broad round heads, and crinkly or woolly hair. They are often called negritos, or little negroes.

An Englishman named Man lived for some years in the Andaman Islands and became much interested in the little blacks. He learned their language and has described their customs.

The Mincopies are true savages, living entirely on wild food; they are gentle and non-savage in disposition. The islands are well supplied with food. “The sea which washes their coasts is full of fish and abounds with turtles; the jungles are filled with wild pigs; the bees furnish abundance of wild honey.” From plants they get roots and fruits. They have no cultivated fields and no domestic animals. Although savages, these little people know how to build good houses. These are huts some thirty-five by forty feet; the framework is of posts and poles and the firm thatch is of palm leaves. The huts are arranged about an oval or elliptical cleared space, where they hold their dances. When off on long hunting trips the Mincopies build rude shelters of branches and leaves. In their villages boys and girls, unless they are still babies, do not sleep in the houses with grown persons, but there are two special sleeping houses—one for boys and the other for girls. In the houses of the Mincopies fires are kept burning. It is said that these people do not know how to kindle fire; if this is true, they are almost the only people who are ignorant of this important knowledge. They are careful of the fires they have and feed them well.

Unless they think they have some reason to fear strangers, the Mincopies receive them kindly. The little children are taught to respect visitors. “They are the first served; the best dishes are offered to them; they are accompanied at their departure; before separating they clasp hands, and instead of embracing they blow in each other’s faces; then they engage in an affectionate dialogue. Finally they separate with mutual promises of meeting again.”

The adoption of children is common among Mincopies. It is rare that any child remains with its parents after it is six or seven years old. Some friend of the family wishes to show his friendship and asks to adopt the child. The little one goes to his house and belongs to him. The parents may visit him in his new home, but no longer have any control over him. His new father may do what he likes with him, even to giving him away to some other person who may wish to adopt him. When children are about twelve years of age, they begin a fast, which is kept up until they are almost men and women; during that time they must not eat turtle, pork, fish, or honey. After several years of thus fasting, they may again eat these foods.

There are rules about foods for grown persons, too. During certain parts of the year they must not eat some kinds of roots and fruits; their god Puluga will be displeased if they do. Children must not eat the flesh of the two water animals, the dugong and porpoise. And to every person there is some one kind of food which he must not eat in all his life; this forbidden food differs with the persons.

We have said a good deal about the kindness of the Mincopies: they are not always good. They have their quarrels and battles like the rest of the world. They are quick-tempered and often become angry for a small offence. When a Mincopy is angry, he acts like a naughty child, striking and breaking everything around him, even his own choicest treasures. Trouble sometimes breaks out between two tribes in the midst of a feast. In their wars they destroy and carry off property; they take no prisoners among the men, killing the wounded, but children of the enemy are usually kept alive and kindly treated. Sometimes they try to harm enemies by witchcraft, or conjuring. They think that Puluga dislikes the smell of burning beeswax and will, in his anger, send forth a storm. So, when they know that their enemy is going fishing or hunting, they burn beeswax so that the angry Puluga will send a storm.

Most curious is the funeral of a child among the Andamanese. When a little one dies there is general weeping. Parents and friends paint their bodies with clay; their heads are fresh shaved, and upon them, over the forehead, men place a lump of clay, while women put one upon the top of the head. The mother prepares the little body for burial; she shaves and paints the head, neck, wrists, and knees with red ochre; she then folds the little body together and wraps it in great leaves and binds the bundle thus made with cords. The grave is dug in the floor of the hut, under the fireplace. After gently blowing a few times upon the little face in farewell, the child is buried and the fire is rebuilt over the grave. The mother leaves a few drops of her own milk in a cup on the grave. The hut is then deserted, a garland of rushes being fastened around it to show that a death has taken place. The whole village then moves, that the child’s spirit may not be disturbed. After three months of mourning, they all return. The little skeleton is dug up, the bones are painted red or yellow and distributed as keepsakes to the friends, who wear them as necklaces in memory of the dead child. This seems dreadful to us, but our people often keep locks of hair cut from a dead child’s head; it is the same thing. At this time the lumps of clay, signs of mourning, are removed from the heads and foreheads. Some days later, there is a gathering of all the friends. The father, holding his remaining children in his arms, sings a mourning song: the women take part in the chorus, and all the rest cry noisily. The parents then dance “the dance of tears,” after which they withdraw to the hut. The visitors keep up the dance some hours longer.