xu 



CONTENTS OF 



Possibility of restoring the ruined 



tanks 432 



Its national importance . . . 432 

 Unrivalled magnitude of the ancient 



■works for irrigation in Ceylon . 433 

 Why necessaiy in the north and not 



iri the south of the island . . 433 

 Causes of the destruction of the an- 

 cient tanks 434 



Difficulties of restoring them . . 434 

 Sentiments of the native population 435 

 Facilities afforded by the tank at 

 Horra-bora 436 



CHAP. III. 



THE VEDDAHS. 



The Yeddah country. . . .437 

 Origin of the tribe .... 438 

 A remnant of the aborigines of Cey- 

 lon 438 



Historical evidences .... 438 

 Smilar races in India . («o/e) 438 



Yeddahs described bv Palladius a.d. 



400 ..'... 438 

 Yeddahs are " archers "... 439 

 Their food 439 



I. The Rock Veddahs . . .440 



Their organisation and habits . 440 

 Their language .... 440 

 Their marriage rites . . .441 

 Ko religion .... 441 



Their devil-worship . . . 441 

 Ko burial of the dead . . . 442 

 Legend as to their high caste • 442 



II. The Village Veddahs . . .443 



Their customs .... 443 



III. The Coast Veddahs . . .444 

 Numbers of the Veddahs in Cey- 

 lon 444 



Their general character . . 444 

 Attempts of Government to re- 

 claim them .... 445 

 Success as regards the Rock Yed- 

 dahs 446 



Settlement of Yillage Yeddahs . 447 

 Settlement of Coast Veddahs . 448 

 General results .... 448 

 A Yeddah dance . . . 449 



Mode of kindling fire . . . 451 

 Country between Bintenne and 



Batticaloa .... 452 

 The road from Badulla . . 452 



CHAP. IV. 



r.ATTICALOA. — "THE MUSICAL FISH." — 

 THE SALT COUNTllY. 



Singular features of the east coast . 454 



Scenery of the rivers .... 455 



The island of Poe'.iantivo . . . 456 



The great sand formation . . . 456 



Coco-nut plantations of Batf'caloa . 456 



Extraordinary size of the nuts . . 457 



The Moors of Batticaloa . . . 458 



Damask manufacture of Arrapatoo . 458 



Pape 

 Singular law of succession . . . 458 

 Its Indian origin .... 459 

 Feudal sj'stem in Ceylon . . . 459 

 The " village system "... 460 

 The " honour of the White Cloth " .461 

 Cliena cultivation .... 463 

 The Fort of Batticaloa . . . 465 

 Its history and present state . . 465 



Kingfishers 466 



Capture of a crocodile . . . 467 

 The " Musical Fish "... 468 

 Similar sounds in other seas . . 469 

 Organs of hearing in fishes . . 469 

 Sounds uttered by the Tritonia arbo- 



rescens ...... 470 



The salt-marshes . . . 472, 473 

 Eraoor and the "Elephant-catchers" 472 

 The Natoor IJiver .... 473 



Scenerv of Yenloos Bay . . . 473 



Shells" 474 



The palace of the Yanichee . . 474 

 The salt lake of Panetjen-Keray . 474 

 The Yergel River .... 475 

 Its dangerous inundations . . . 475 

 Arnetivoe, " the Island of Elephants" 47G 

 Night-scene at Topoor . . . 477 



Cottiar 478 



Former historv of the place and its 



trade . " 478 



Knox's tamarind tree . . . 478 

 Extraordinary oysters . . . 479 

 Bay of Trincomalie .... 479 

 Note. — Tritonia arborescens . . 480 



CHAP. V. 



TRIXCOJLALIE — THE EBOXY FORESTS — 

 THE SALT-FORMATIONS — THE GREAT 

 TAXK OF PAUIVIL. 



The bay and harbour of Trincomalie 

 The fortifications .... 



Legend of " the Saamy Rock " . 

 The " temple of a thousand columns" 

 Destroj-ed by the Portuguese . 

 Curious ceremony .... 



Francina Van Reede . . . . 



French attempts on Trincomalie 

 The importance of the position . 

 Its present neglect . . . . 



Surrounding country depopulated 

 The town and bazaars 

 Trincomalie as the capital of Ceylon . 

 Reasons for its adoption . 

 Tamblegam Lake .... 



Its pearls ...... 



Elephants and monkeys . 

 A tiger .... 



The ebonv forests 

 Life of the foresters . 

 Nillavelli and the salt works 

 Hot springs of Kanncd 

 Iron-sand .... 



Climbing fish 



The lake of Kokelai . 



The mirage 



Night travelling in the forest 



The iri'eat taidi of Fudivil 



Qiote') 



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