450 THE NORTHERN FORESTS. [Part IX. 



Vedclalis are indifferent marksmen, and bring down 

 their game by surprise rather than by adroitness with 

 the bow. If it be only womided they give chase, and 

 hang upon its track till it falls exliausted or presents 

 an opportunity for repeating the shot. In this way, 

 it is said, that theu^ mode of kiUing the elephant is by 

 planting an arrow in the spongy substance which forms 

 the sole of his foot, when the shaft breaking short off 

 festers in the wound, and the huge creatiure eventually 

 becomes their prey through exliaustion and pain. They 

 danced for us, after the exhibition of their archery, 

 shuffling with their feet to a low and plaintive chaunt, 

 and shaking their long hair, till it concealed the upper 

 part of their body ; and as they excited themselves 

 with their exercise they uttered shrill cries, jumped 

 in the air, and clung round each other's necks. We 

 were told that the dance generally ended in a kind of 

 frenzy, after which they sunk exhausted on the groimd ; 

 but the whole scene was so repulsive and humihating 

 that we could not permit the arrival of this denouement ; 

 and dispersed the party with a present of some silver. 

 They received it without an apparent emotion, and slimk 

 off into the jungle, some few afterwards returning to be 

 hired as coohes to carry our hght baggage on towards 

 Batticaloa. 



On our route thither we encountered stragghng parties 

 of Veddahs at several points of the jom-ney ; but they 

 aU presented the same characteristics of wretchedness 

 and dejection, — projecting mouths, prominent teeth, flat- 

 tened noses, stunted statm^e, and the other evidences 

 of the physical depravity which is the usual consequence 

 of hunger and ignorance. The children were unsightly 

 objects, entirely naked, with misshapen joints, huge 

 heads, and protuberant stomachs ; — the women, who 

 were apparently reluctant to appear, were the most 

 repulsive specimens of humanity I have ever seen in any 

 countiy. 



