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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLONf). 



[Vol. IX. 



narrower. The same is true of the palate, and probably of the 

 nose. On the other hand, the orbits — at least of my 

 Sinhalese skull — are by no means high. The greatest 

 uncertainty is regarding the form of the jaw-bone. One 

 Sinhalese skull I have pictured on Table II. is decidedly more 

 prognathous than the Vedda skull, Table I., but also more than 

 the Sinhalese skull, according to Davy. The Vedda skull of 

 Messrs. Quatrefages and Hamy, as well as the Sinhalese skull 

 of Sandif ort, has, however, a very prominent alveolar process. 



Before pursuing this comparison farther it will be expe- 

 dient to discuss the other races of people who must later on 

 be brought into comparison. 



The Tamils or Malabars. 



As already explained, we understand by this name the 

 Dravidian immigrants who, in historic time, came from many 

 different points on the peninsula of Hindustan, and in the 

 course of over two thousand years multiplied so greatly 

 that they almost exclusively peopled the north and a large 

 portion of the east of the Island, more especially along the 

 coast. When the Portuguese, the first pioneers of European 

 civilisation, obtained a firm foothold upon the Island, the 

 Malabar rule was firmly established in the old Bdjarata, or 

 Pihitirata. Moreover, Valentijn* defines their seat in his 

 time as extending up to the river Corunda Waye, which it 

 seems is identical with the Koorinda, or Kirinde-oya ("cinna- 

 mon river"), of Sir E. Tennent, f a little river which toward 

 the south-east, near Mahagan, empties itself into the sea. 

 DavyJ also designates the northerly and eastern coast pro- 

 vinces as the principal seats of the Malabars. 



Pridham§ speaks of them as inhabitants of the land from 

 Batticaloa even to Jaffna in the north, and from there as far 



* Valentijn, I. c, Bl. 49. f Tennent, I. c, I, p. 41 ; II., p. 417. 

 X Davy, I. c, p. 108. § Pridham, I. c, p. 463. 



