On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Andaman Islands. (Part I.)

I endeavoured to give an outline of various points of ethnological interest concerning the aboriginal inhabitants of the Andaman Islands.I propose this evening, and, with your permission, on some future occasion, to enter more into detail, both with regard to their physical characteristics and their culture; merely remarking by way of preface that on those points in regard to which I am compelled, in the interests of truth and science, to contradict the accounts of previous writers, I have been especially careful to corroborate all my statements, in which endeavour I have been greatly assisted, and would here acknowledge gratefully the invaluable help afforded me, by the small volume published a few years ago by the British Association for the Advancement of Science with the object of aiding travellers and others in their researches among savage and uncivilised nations,-indeed I may say that I have worked almost entirely upon the lines therein laid down.As mentioned in my previous paper, read in May last, I succeeded in acquiring a fair knowledge of the South Andaman dialect, and, during the eleven years I passed at the Andamans, had charge, for a period extending over four years, of the government homes established with a view of reclaiming these people, as far as possible, from their savage state.I was thus thrown much in contact with them, and had special opportunities of observing each peculiarity, whether of physique, or of habits, customs, &c., to some of which I shall be able to direct your attention by means of the photographs which I have brought for your inispection, and by the lime-light illustrations with which I purpose to conclude my remarks this evening.Before speaking of our recently acquired knowledge regarding the race, let us glance back for a nioment to our earliest information as to the islands, and to the probable origiin of the name "Andaman."