The most formidable animals on these islands are crocodiles, which are found in great nunibers wherever there are fresh water lakes and streams. They are of two kinds, viz. the proper crocodile, which is said never to attack living creatures, but to subsist on carrion; and the black kayman, which is of a smaller size than the other, and which seizes with the greatest ferocity every animal that comes in its way. Serpents are numerous in some places ; but the custom prevalent among. the natives of setting fire, two or three times a year, to the long grass on the mountains is supposed to check their increase. Some of them are extremely venomous, and the bite of one singular species, with a broad heacl and mouth like a frog, with very red eyes, has been known to prove fatal in the space of half an hour. There are not many scorpions; but there is one species of a red colour, and unusually large size, which is said to be pe culiarly poisonous.
The surrounding sea abounds with fish of various de scriptions and excellent quality. All kinds of shell-fish, turtles, cockles, and crabs, are found on the coast ; and nothing can surpass the display of beautiful shells of the rarest kinds which are scattered along the shores.
The Nicobar islands are thinly inhabited, and some of them are entirely destitute of inhabitants. The united population of Nancowry and Comarty, which are consi dered as the most populous, is not supposed to exceed 800. The natives themselves are so sensible of the scanty population of their islands, that they are very de sirous to increase it, by seducing the Lascars in the coun try ships to remain among them. These people are of a copper colour, and rather low in stature; but well formed, and remarkably strong and active. Their coun tenance resembles that of the Malays, and is by no means pleasing in features or expression. They have small eyes, i» which the white part is of a yellowish hue ; small flat noses, large mouths, thick lips, black teeth, and long ears, with wide holes in the lobes. The hind part of their head is flat,(being compressed during infancy,) and their strong black hair cut quite round and close. The wo men, who are represented as extremely ugly, have their heads completely shaved ; and the men also shave their eye brows, while they suffer the little beard that they have to grow.
Thc clothing of the men consists of a narrow piece of cloth, about three yards in length, which they wrap twice round their waist ; or, drawing it very tightly between their legs, pass it through the girth behind, leaving the cnd of it to hang downwaids ; a circumstance which is supposed to have occasioned the mistake of Kioping, a Swedish navigator, who describes the inhabitants of these islands as men with tails. The women wear a piece of cloth, commonly of a blue colour, about a foot wide, fas tened round their waist, and hanging down like an apron ; but sometimes this covering is made of a sort of rush or dry grass, not interwoven, but hanging down in detached filaments. Both sexes ale said to be fond of dress, adorn
int; themselves at their festivals with leaves in a fanciful manner, and, in the presence of Europeans, putting on whatevei old clothes they have received from them. They do not conintonly use paint, but pride themselves upon the fioeness of then sktn, which they keep very clean.
l'heir villages, consisting of fifteen or twenty houses, are comn only built on the shore, under the shade of the cocon•nut trees. The houses, which are generally spacious, are of a circular form, and are raised upon piles to the height of six or eight feet front the ground. This manner of building is intended to secure the habi tation from snakes and rats ; and, for this purpose, the pillars, besides being covered with a smooth leaf, have round flat pieces of wood near the top, to prevent the progress of these vermin. The flooring is in part made of slips of bamboo at small distances, to admit the light and air ; and the entrance is through a trap-door at the bottom, to which the' inhabitants descend by a ladder, which is drawn up after them. There is only one apart ment, hut several families, sometimes to the number of twenty persons, generally live in the same kbitation, where they all sleep together, lying naked on the floors, with a kind of palm-leaf under them by way of mattress, but seldom with any covering above them. In those bays and inlets which are sheltered from the sutf, these houses are often erected so near the margin of the water, as to admit the tide to flow under them, and wash away any filth collected below. The furniture consists in a few earthen pots, highly-polished cocoa-nut dishes, hatchets, knives, one or two sabres, a number of spears and fishing-nets ; besides two or three palongs or boats belonging to each family.
Their food consists chiefly of the bread fruit of the mellory ; yams, and other wholesome roots; fruits of various trees and shrubs ; the flesh of pigs and fowls, which are very abundant in the islands, and being fed chiefly on the cocoa-nuts, are remarkably excellent as food ; and a great variety of fish and shell-fish, which they are able to procure with very little difficulty. They eat immense quantities of pork, and cook their flesh-meat very slightly. They use as drink the milk of the cocoa-nut, and the juice of the cocoa-tree, which they call soura, and which they suffer to ferment till it ac quires an intoxicating quality. They are fond of smok ing tobacco, and drink all kinds of spirits with the utmost greediness. Their mouths are continually full of betel or areca nut.