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linguistic observations, and only in part by anthropological facts; 

 According to one the Veddas would be next of kin to the 

 Dravidians ; according to the other, members of the great 

 Aryan family. In either case they must have immigrated from 

 the continent ; only in the first very much earlier than in the 

 second, If we assume that the Veddas originally belonged 

 or were nearly related to the Dravidians, or even, if different 

 from them, at any rate a savage aboriginal tribe, and that they 

 only received their present language subsequently from Aryan 

 conquerors, then it is difficult to conceive how the process of 

 Sinhalesing the language could have been accomplished whilst 

 their whole way of living, their customs and habits, remained 

 wholly unchanged. On the other hand the hypothesis that the 

 Veddas are Sinhalese who have become savage would require 

 us to fall back on some period after Wijeya, and, contrary to 

 all experience, we should have to assume a descent from a high 

 state of comparative civilization to a degradation too great to be 

 conceivable, unless we can prove at the same time a very deep 

 physical demoralisation ; and that too whilst in closest proximity, 

 even in direct contact, with a people who had passed through a 

 long and eventful history. From whatever side we consider the 

 question we must come to the conclusion that linguistics can 

 only be used as aids in the investigation ; and that if a real 

 solution is to be found it is only possible by means of 

 anthropology. 



ANTHROPOLOGICAL. 



Veddas — The earliest known description of the Veddas 

 is contained in a work attributed to Palladius, Bishop of 

 Helenopolis in Bithynia, who died A. D. 410, and in which 

 he describes a journey made from Thebes to Ceylon. The 

 Veddas are there described as feeble, and small of stature, and as 

 having heads black and apparently large, with long, smooth, 

 unshorn hair. Davy has given the first description resting an 

 autopsy. He says : — " Such of the village Veddas as I have 

 seen were in general small men between 5 feet 3 and 5 feet 9 

 inches high ; muscular and well made ; in colour, form and 

 features resembling the Sinhalese. Their appearance was wild 



