Tfi* SPORTS AND GAMES OF THE SINGHALESE. *4"1 



other hand of the shooter, which not uncommonly happens 

 with the inexperienced. 



The Yaturu dunne or Cross-bow is another variety. The 

 low is passed through a stock which has a trigger attach- 

 ed to it, a groove is made along the middle to wards the 

 t op, for the arrow r or pellet that may be used. The bow 

 after being bent, the string is caught in the trigger, and 

 the arrow laid on the groove against the string is dis- 

 charged by pulling the trigger. Instead of the groove along 

 the stock, a bamboo with two slits on each side for the 

 string is used. In this case the bamboo acts like a gun 

 barrel and greater accuracy of aim obtained. 



The Watura wedille or Water gun is a squirt made of 

 a straight bamboo joint with one or more small holes at 

 the closed end, a ramrod with some tow or cloth tightly 

 wrapped round at one end acting like the piston of a pump. 



" Bonipaa" " False-feet" or Stilts, though no doubt 

 known to the Singhalese from very ancient times, are not 

 in common use, except on occasions of religious proces- 

 sions, when numbers of boys and even grown up men can 

 be seen performing wonderful feats of locomotion on them. 



" The Sling", Galpatya, though sometimes used does 

 not appear to- have been known to the Singhalese in its 

 character of a weapon. Perhaps the first time they gained 

 an idea of the Sling was when reading the account of the 

 encounter between David and Goliah, a supposition not a 

 little strengthened by the name " Gaipaiya," a modern 

 compound word into which the word u Sling" has been 

 rendered by the Translators of the Bible. 



Note.— Almost all the games described in this paper are common 

 io the Southern Province. 



