|
Occupation
All occupations and all industries arise out of the personal necessities of the people. They make their own bows and arrow, harpoons and spears, string and nets of string, baskets and mats, unglazed circular cooking pots, bamboo baskets and canoes hollowed out of tree-trunks. The ornamentation is crude but customary and conventional. Their implements are quartz flakes chipped off and natural stones never Celts. They are unadventurous seamen, poling and paddling canoes at considerable speed but they never go out of slight of land.
The social emotions are not generally expressed. The Andamanese have no words for ordinary salutations, greetings or for expressing thanks. On meeting they stare at each other for a long period in silence, which the younger breaks with a common place remark and then follows an eager telling of news which an Andamanese always delights in hearing. Relatives sit in each other's laps at meetings, huddled together, weeping loudly and demonstratively and this may last for hours. The Onges are less demonstrative and caress each other with their hands. At parting they take each other by the hand and blow on it exchanging sentences of conventional farewell.
An Andamanese will often part readily with ornaments to any one who asks for them. A very rude barter exists between tribes of the same group in regard to articles not locally obtained made of a special clay found only in certain parts of the islands. The barter is really a gift of one article, in exchange of another of corresponding value in return and disputes occur if it is not forth coming.
|
