Остров Рутланд: История и исчезнувшие племена Андаманских островов

Rutland Island in County Donegal

Rutland Island is an island of the Andaman Islands. It belongs to the South Andaman administrative district, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The island is located south from Port Blair.

The island used to be home to the Jangil, one of the indigenous Andamanese groups. The Jangil (also called "Rutland Jarawa" since they were thought to have been related to the Jarawa of South Andaman) occupied much of the interior of the island according to mid 19th century British accounts; however, their interactions with outsiders were few and far between. Up to the early 20th century there are only a handful of documented encounters with Jangil individuals. The last documented encounter was in 1907, and when in the 1920s a more extensive expedition to the island's interior was conducted, no traces of their active habitation were found; the Jangil had become extinct. From time to time other indigenous Andamanese, such as the Onge from Little Andaman Island to the south and Great Andamanese tribes to the north had also set up fishing communities on Rutland. However, with the great reduction in numbers of these peoples, and their (enforced) relocation to more restricted areas, the island no longer has any permanent indigenous settlement. There is a lighthouse at the slopes of the hill on the north of the island, about 2 km from the landing point.

The island belongs to the Rutland Archipelago and is located across the Macpherson Strait from South Andaman Island. It is separated from Little Andaman by the Duncan Passage, and from North Clinque Island by Manner Strait. Mount Ford, 433m high, lies in the N part of the island; Mount Mayo, 227m high, lies in the S part.