448 THE NOETHERX FORESTS. [Pakt IX. 



OAVii wild and wandering life, and casual emplojanent, as 

 watchers or occasional .laboiu'ers, amongst the Moorish 

 villagers ; but generally speaking, the mass are becom- 

 ing gradually assimilated in their habits, and intermingled 

 with the ordinary native population of the district. 



The third class, the Coast Veddahs, to the amount of 

 about three hundred, have in like manner been signaUy 

 improved in then" condition, by attention to then" wants 

 and comforts. They were the last to hsten to the in- 

 vitations, or to avail themselves of the assistance, of 

 Government; at length, in 1844, they came in, ex- 

 pressing the utmost reluctance to abandon the sea-shore 

 and the water, but accepting gladly patches of land, 

 wdiich were cleared for them in the forest, near the 

 beach ; cottages were built, fruit-trees planted, and 

 seed supphed; and they are now concentrated in the 

 beautiful woody headlands around the Bay of Yenloos, 

 where they maintain themselves by fishing, or cutting 

 ebony and satin-wood in the forests, to be floated down 

 the river to the Bay. Education has made progress ; the 

 Wesleyan Missionaries have been active ; the great ma- 

 jority have embraced Christianity, and there can be no 

 reasonable doubt, that within a very few years, the habits 

 of this singular race will be absolutely changed, and their 

 appellation of Yeddahs be retained only as a traditionary 

 name. 



Formerly the vast tract of forest between the Kan- 

 dyan mountain and the sea, frequented by these people 

 and known as the Veddah Eatta, or " Country of the 

 Veddahs," was regarded by Em^opeans with apprehen- 

 sion ; excited by the exaggerated representation made 

 by the Kandyans as to the savage disposition of the 

 Veddahs, and none but armed parties ventured to pass 

 through their fastnesses. Of late years, this delusion 

 has been entu-ely dispelled ; and travellers now feel 

 themselves as safe in the vicinity of the tribes, as in 

 that of the villages of the Singhalese. They are con- 



