it. The Rev. J. G. "Wood thus describes it. " There is a very 

 peculiar god of the Indians who is always hot when the 

 weather is cold, and cold when the weather is hot. He then 

 has to be worshipped in his own peculiar fashion. The wor- 

 shippers dress themselves in long pointed caps, not unlike those 

 worn by the unfortunate wretches under the power of the In- 

 quisition. They then kindle a large fire, and hang over it a 

 cauldron containing dog's-meat. While the water is boiling 

 they perform a mystic dance, and when it is bubbling up most 

 furiously, each, as he passes, dips his hand in the boUiiig 

 water, and exclaims, ' How cold it is ! ' The next time that 

 the circuit is completed, the same process is repeated ; but this 

 time each one throws the boiling water over his naked shoulders, 

 again exclaiming, 'How cold it is!' After some time con- 

 sumed in these ceremonies, the meat is supposed to be tho- 

 roughly boiled. Each then takes a piece of the scalding meal 

 out of the pot and swallows it, again exclaiming, ' How cold 

 it is!'" 



" There are no wild dogs in Ceylon," writes Tennent, " bui 

 every village and town is haunted by mongrels of European 

 descent, who are known by the generic description of Pariahs. 

 They are a miserable race, unacknowledged by owners, living on 

 the garbage of the streets and sewers, lean, wretched, and 

 mangy, and if spoken to unexpectedly, shrinking with an al- 

 most involuntary cry. Tet in these persecuted outcasts, there 

 survives that germ of instinctive affection which binds the dog 

 to the human race, and a gentle word, even a look of com- 

 passionate kindness, is sufficient foundation for a lasting 

 attachment. The Singhalese, from their aversion to taking 

 away life in any form, permit the increase of these desolate 

 creatures, tiU, in the hot season, they become so numerous as 

 to be a nuisance ; and the only expedient hitherto devised by 

 the civil government to reduce their numbers, is, once in eacn 

 year, to offer a reward for their destruction, when the Tamils 

 and Malays pursue them in the streets with clubs, and the un- 

 resisting dogs are beaten to death on the side-paths and door- 

 steps where they have been taught to resort for food. Lord 

 Torrington, during his tenure of office, attempted the more 

 civilized experiment of putting some check on their numbers by 

 imposing a dog-tax, the effect of which would have been to lead 

 to the drowning of puppies ; whereas there is reason to believe 

 that dogs are, at present, bred by the horsekeepers to be killed 

 for tlie sake of the reward." 



