38 THE SPORTS AND GAMES 0? THE SINGHALESE. 



player takes up a number of cashews in her hand and hold- 

 ing them close covered cries Ottey Irattey* If the next player 

 guesses odd or even right, she wins the cashew nuts held in 

 the other's hand, if wrong she loses and has to pay that 

 number to the winner, and the play proceeds in regular 

 order. Sometimes a whole heap of cashew nuts is staked* 

 the player who guesses right taking all, or paying back 

 a similar number if she guesses wrong. 



Among the games of chance, cards and dice occupy 

 but too lamentably a conspicuous place. All the games 

 played with cards are of European origin, the commonest 

 being " Thirty one" played on nearly the same rules as 

 " Vingt-un". Another very common game is called " Ajuda" 

 (Portuguese for help,) and was probably borrowed from them, 

 or perhaps introduced and popularised by the Dutch, judg- 

 ing from the names of the cards themselves. The ace is 

 Called Asya (aas) the kingHeera (Jiecr). The Queen, Porowe 

 (Vrouw) and the Jack, Booruwa, (Boor) all Dutch terms. 

 Four, five, or six can play. Each player has eight cards 

 dealt him and if the person entitled to begin is flush, and 

 can count upon making five or more tricks by himself, he 

 calls out Solo, meaning that he elects to dispense with Juda 

 and play alone. He names trumps. The other players in 

 such a case are opposed to him and make common cause 

 among themselves. Should he have any doubts of success, 

 he calls out for " Juda" which any player having two or 

 more aces, or one ace and two kings supported by smaller 

 cards of the same suit, is bound to give. Between the two 

 they are expected to make five tricks. The player next 

 to the right of the dealer leads and is entitled to call out 

 Solo or Juda first, the other players taking precedence 



