Chapter NELLY to NICOBAR ISLANDS of N by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

NGAPEE, s. The Burmese name, ngapi, ‘pressed fish,’ of the odorous delicacy described under BALACHONG. [See Forbes, British Burma, 83.]

1855.—“Makertich, the Armenian, assured us that the jars of ngapé at Amarapoora exhibited a flux and reflux of tide with the changes of the moon. I see this is an old belief. De la Loubère mentions it in 1688 as held by the Siamese.”—Yule, Mission to Ava, p. 160.

NICOBAR ISLANDS, n.p. The name for centuries applied to a group of islands north of Sumatra. They appear to be the [Greek Text] baroussai of Ptolemy, and the Lankha Balus of the oldest Arab Relation. [Sir G. Birdwood identifies them with the Island of the Bell (Nakus) to which Sindbad, the Seaman, is carried in his fifth voyage. (Report on Old Records, 108; Burton, Arabian Nights, iv. 368).] The Danes attempted to colonize the islands in the middle of the 18th century, and since, unsuccessfully. An account of the various attempts will be found in the Voyage of the Novara. Since 1869 they have been partially occupied by the British Government, as an appendage of the Andaman settlement. Comparing the old forms Lankha and Nakkavaram, and the nakedness constantly attributed to the people, it seems possible that the name may have had reference to this (nañga). [Mr. Man (Journ. Anthrop. Institute, xviii. 359) writes: “A possible derivation may be suggested by the following extract from a paper by A. de Candolle (1885) on ‘The Origin of Cultivated Plants’: ‘The presence of the coconut in Asia three or four thousand years ago is proved by several Sanskrit names.…The Malays have a name widely diffused in the Archipelago, kalapa, klapa, klopo. At Sumatra and Nicobar we find the name njior, nieor, in the Philippines niog, at Bali, nioh, njo…’ While the Nicobars have long been famed for the excellence of their coconuts, the only words which bear any resemblance to the forms above given are ngoât, ‘a ripe nut,’ and ñi-nàu, ‘a half- ripe nut.’”] c. 1050.—The name appears as Nakkavaram in the great Tanjore Inscription of the 11th century.

c. 1292.—“When you leave the island of Java (the Less) and the Kingdom of Lambri, you sail north about 150 miles, and then you come to two Islands, one of which is called Necuveran. In this island they have no king nor chief, but live like beasts.…”—Marco Polo, Bk. III. ch. 12.

c. 1300.—“Opposite Lámúri is the island of Lákwáram (probably to read Nákáram), which produces plenty of red amber. Men and women go naked, except that the latter cover the pudenda with cocoanut leaves. They are all subject to the Káán.”—Rashíduddín, in Elliot, i. 71.

c. 1322.—“Departing from that country, and sailing towards the south over the Ocean Sea, I found many islands and countries, where among others was one called Nicoveran…both the men and women there have faces like dogs, etc.…”—Friar Odoric, in Cathay, &c., 97.

1510.—“In front of the before named island of Samatra, across the Gulf of the Ganges, are 5 or 6 small islands, which have very good water and ports for ships. They are inhabited by Gentiles, poor people, and are called Niconvar (Nacabar in Lisbon ed.), and they find in them very good amber, which they carry thence to Malaca and other parts.”—Barbosa, 195.

1514.—“Seeing the land, the pilot said it was the land of Nicubar.…The pilot was at the top to look out, and coming down he said that this land was all cut up (i.e. in islands), and that it was possible to pass through the middle ; and that now there was no help for it but to chance it or turn back to Cochin.…The natives of the country had sight of us and suddenly came forth in great boats full of people.…They were all Caffres, with fish-bones inserted in their lips and chin : big men and frightful to look on ; having their boats full of bows and arrows poisoned with herbs.”—Giov. da Empoli, in Archiv. Stor. pp. 71–72.

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