334 ON SECLUDED TRIBES OF UNCIVILIZED MEN. 



scientific men. None of the other races, however, specimens of 

 which abound in the island, possess an equal interest for the philo- 

 sophic mind with the despised and degraded remnant of the aborigi- 

 nes who are styled " the wild hunters " of Ceylon. This wretched 

 race has existed in a state of comparative seclusion for 2000 years, 

 retaining during that time its ancient habits, customs, superstitions 

 and modes of life. These people have no proper distinctive appella- 

 tion, being merely called " Veddahs," which term in India is applied to 

 hunters generally. They inhabit extensive districts which are called 

 " Widdirata,"*or country of Veddahs. It so happens that the his- 

 tory of those extraordinary people can be traced with considerable 

 precision. Ceylon is fortunate in having records of its early history 

 on which some reliance can be placed. Among the earliest notices 

 we have of the existence of Ceylon we may mention the Hindoo 

 Bamayana, one of the oldest epics in existence. In this work the 

 island, under the Sanscrit name of Lanha, figured conspicuously. In 

 perusing this, however, we must make great allowance for poetical 

 exaggerations and invention. But there is in existence another 

 very important work, a record of the history of Ceylon from the 

 landing of Wijaya in 543 B.C., down to the year 1758 of our era. 

 This work, which is called Mahawanso, or " Genealogy of the great," 

 was discovered in the year 1826. It was written in the Pali tongue^. 

 a classical form in ancient Behar of a modification of Sanscrit speech 

 which is to be found in the Hindoo drama. Mr. Turnour, of the 

 civil service in Ceylon, has translated a large portion of the work. 

 This was a difficult task, as the Pali was a language known only to 

 the Buddhist priests, and imperfectly by them in Tumour's time. 

 The history was written in verse, and, in order to render it more in- 

 telligible, there accompanied it a tika, or running commentary in 

 prose, probably resembling the interpretatio of the old Delphic edi- 

 tions of the Latin classics. This was a great assistance to the trans- 

 lator in his arduous undertakings. Now in this " genealogy " there 

 are descriptions given of the condition and pursuits of the inhabi- 

 tants of Lanka, before their conquerors had taught them the art of 

 agriculture ; and, strange to say, the condition and pursuits of the 

 modern Yeddahs correspond exactly with these descriptions. Pliny 

 in his Natural History, (lib. iv., ch. xxiv.) informs us that the Singha- 

 lese envoys, who visited Eome in the time of Claudius, state that it 

 was the custom of their countrymen, when foreign merchants visited 



