rus, not unpleasing. In dancing they may be said to have improved on the strange republican dance asserted by Voltaire to have been exhibited in England: "Ou dancant a la ronde, chacun donne des coups de

pieds a son voisin, et en recoit autant." The Andamaners likewise dance in a ring, each alternately kicking and slapping his own breech, ad libitum. Their salutation is performed by lifting up a leg, and smacking with their hand the lower part of the thigh.

THEIR dwellings are the most wretched hovels imaginable. An Andaman hut may be considered the rudest, and most imperfect attempt of the human race to procure shelter from the weather, and answers to the idea given by Vitruvius, of the buildings erected by the earliest inhabitants of the earth. Three or four sticks are planted in the ground, and fastened together at the top, in the form of a cone, over which a kind of thatch is formed with the branches and leaves of trees. An opening is left on one side, just large enough to creep into; and the ground beneath is strewed with dried leaves, upon which they lie. In these huts are frequently found the sculls of wild hogs, suspended to the roofs.

THEIR Canoes are hollowed out of the trunks of trees by means of fire and instruments of stone, having no iron in use amongst them, except such utensils as they have procured from the Europeans and sailors who have lately visited these islands; or from the wrecks of vessels formerly stranded on their coasts. They use also rafts, made of bamboos, to transport themselves across their harbours, or from one island

to

to another. Their arms have already been mentioned in part, I need only add that their bows are remarkably long, and of an uncommon form; their arrows are headed with fish-bones, or the tusks of wild hogs; sometimes merely with a sharp bit of wood, hardened in the fire, but these are sufficiently destructive. They use also a kind of shield; and one or two other weapons have been seen amongst them: Of their implements for fishing, and other purposes, little can be said. Hand-nets of different sizes are used in catching the small fry, and a kind of wickerbasket, which they carry on their backs, serves to deposit whatever articles of food they can pick up. A few specimens of pottery-ware have been seen in these islands.

THE climate of the Andaman islands is rather milder than in Bengal. The prevailing winds are the south-west and north-east monsoons, the former commencing in May, and bringing in the rains; which continue to fall with equal, if not greater violence till November. At this time the north-east winds begin to blow, accompanied likewise by showers, but giving place to fair and pleasant weather during the rest of the year. These winds vary but little, and are interrupted only at times by the land and sea-breezes. The tides are regular, the floods setting in from the west, and rising eight feet at the springs, with little variation in different parts. On the north-east coast it is high water at the full and change of the moon at 8° 33'. The variation of the needle is 2° 30′ easterly.

VOL. IV.

3 G

Specimen

*It may appear surprising that they should have names for animals that are not found in their Islands. This circumstance may tend to confirm the story of their origin.

XXVIII.

ON BARREN ISLAND, AND ITS VOLČANO.

BY LIEUT. R. H. COLEBROOKE.

A

BOUT fifteen leagues to the eastward of the Andaman islands lies an island which navigators, from its appearance, have justly called Barren. On the 12th of May 1787, Captain Kyd and myself, being on board the Trial Snow, on a voyage to Pulo Penang, Barren Island in sight, bearing SSW. seven leagues distant, saw a column of smoke ascending from its summit, and by the help of our glasses plainly perceived it to arise from a hill nearly in its center, around which appeared an extensive valley, or crater ; but being becalmed, we could not approach nearer to examine it.

THE following account of this remarkable island is given by Captain Blair, in his report of the Survey of the Andaman islands.

"I left that coast March the 21st, and landed on "Barren Island on the 24th.-The volcano was in "a violent state of eruption, bursting out immense

volumes of smoke, and frequently showers of red "hot stones, Some were of a size to weigh three or "four tons, and had been thrown some hundred "yards past the foot of the cone. There were two