Maurice Vidal Portman's 1880 contact expedition with North Sentinel Islanders. January 1880: Portman landed on North Sentinel Island intending to make contact Sentinel people disappeared into forest; Portman's crew found elderly couple and four children after days of searching Elderly couple died of disease after being taken to Port Blair on South Andaman
In January 1880, British officer Maurice Vidal Portman landed on North Sentinel Island hoping to make peaceful contact with its inhabitants. After days of searching, his team located an elderly couple and four children who had hidden in the forest. The adults died from disease after being taken to Port Blair. The children were released with gifts and vanished into the island's interior, never to be seen again. Portman's expedition brought Great Andamanese tribe members along — potentially traditional enemies of the Sentinel people — a decision that may have shaped the islanders' lasting hostility toward outsiders.
Key Facts
- January 1880: Portman landed on North Sentinel Island intending to make contact
- Sentinel people disappeared into forest; Portman's crew found elderly couple and four children after days of searching
- Elderly couple died of disease after being taken to Port Blair on South Andaman
- Children were released with gifts and never seen again
- Portman brought Great Andamanese tribe members, potentially traditional enemies of Sentinel and Jarawa
- This first contact established pattern of hostility toward outsiders
Related site: North Sentinel Island — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: What do we know about know about North Sentinel island by Stefan Milo