172 



THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



regarded as a half-brother or a half-sister, as the case may be, and nephews and nieces are 

 looked upon almost as sons and daughters. Notwithstanding the lack of female chastity before 

 marriage, the girls are always modest and childlike in their behaviour, and when married 

 they make good wives and become models of constancy. The statement made by some 

 writers that communal marriage here exists is without foundation. As they have no idea of 

 invoking the aid or the blessing of a Supreme Being, nothing of a religious character 

 attaches to the marriage ceremony. It often happens that a young couple will pass several 

 days after their nuptials without exchanging one single word, and to such an extent do they 

 carry their bashfulness that they even avoid looking at each other. In fact, their behaviour 

 would lead a stranger to suppose that some serious quarrel had arisen. 



THE VEDDAS OF CEYLON. 



THE aboriginal inhabitants of Ceylon are the Veddas,* who until a comparatively recent period 

 ranged over a much more extended area. They may be regarded as a remnant of the Yakkos, 

 who, after the conquest of the island, retired before the invaders into the wilder parts, 

 withdrawing themselves deeper and deeper into the jungle, so as to avoid contact with the 

 conquering race. For upwards of 2,000 years this remarkable fragment of an ancient race 

 has remained almost unaltered as regards its customs, language, and pursuits, and therefore 

 exhibits to the present day a living portrait of the condition of the islanders as described by 

 the native chroniclers before the conquerors had taught the people even the rudiments of 

 agriculture. 



All Veddas present the same characteristics of wretchedness and dejection namely, 



* All except one of our illustrations of Veddas are from photographs kindly sent by Dr. Paul and Dr. Fritz 

 Sarasin, of Basle, whose valuable German monograph on the subject is adorned by very many of their photographs. 

 One is by the Apothecaries' Company of Colombo. 



Photo btj Messrs, hoaiuv it >////* r/'ij 



A GROUP OF A.NDA.MANESE. METHOD OF SHOOTING TURTLE. 



