Note 13 — INTRODUCTION
Reading edition
Several attempts have been made to estimate the former population of the Andamans. In the “Census Report” for 1901 the estimate given is 4800 for the whole group. Mr M. V. Portman has given an estimate of 8000. It seemed to me that one of these is too small and the other too large. Judging from what it is possible to learn about the habits of the natives, and the food supply available, I should estimate that the former population of the islands (in 1858) was about 550013. An estimate for the proportion of the different groups is as follows:—