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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XI. 



rixdollar), eggs, good soups, many and various, deer, hogs, 

 ducks, and the lechaban* which they consider a particular 

 good dish. This is an animal of the shape of a small 

 crocodile ; it runs up and down the trees very quickly, and 

 when shot hangs on until it has bled to death ; it is as 

 dangerous for poultry as the pole-cat ; the belly greenish, 

 feet with four claws, and the fat very good. (They eat,) 

 too, peacocks, which are roasted and dressed with cloves. At 

 one time, as we had nothing else, we were compelled to eat 

 them during a whole month, so that at last they were quite 

 distasteful. They were often found in the rice fields, but 

 are otherwise seldom met with on the flat ground : on the 

 trees, however, one frequently sees them in large numbers. 

 The Geilonese put the tail feathers round the hands and feet 

 if they have sores, or have been hurt ; they also consider 

 them very useful against infection, should one happen to 

 meet a woman with her courses.f 



Bread is exceedingly scarce, and many a year I have not 

 tasted it more than three times.J They use rice instead, well 

 cleaned in water, then boiled, dried over coals, and dished 

 up in crystal or china cup ; and they eat a small handful 

 along with a bit of another dish ; the taste is good and 



* Cf. Schweitzer's Account of Ceylon (English translation, London, 

 1700, p. 290) : "Here is another sort of beast, much like the crocodile, 

 which is called a Caprigoy [Sin. kabara-goya] ; but it hath neither shells 

 nor scales on it, and its tongue is very long and pointed. Another, not 

 much unlike this, but less yet, called a Leguwan, the flesh of which many 

 people eat." Nieuhoff's Voyages (Churchill, L, p. 358, ed. 1704): " A kind 



of crocodile, called legoan by the Indians the meat is white, like that 



of our rabbits, and very well tasted." It is the iguana (Monitor draccena, 

 Linn.) talagoyd of the Sinhalese, who, according to Knox (I.e., p. 31), set 

 great store by its flesh. 



f Peacocks' feathers (Sin. monarapili), reduced to ashes, form an ingre- 

 dient in Sinhalese prescriptions for dysentery. See Y6garatnal<ara, 

 Yogadarane, JBliaisajyahalpaya, Balagraliasantiya. 



% Johannvonder Behr says (p. 58) : — " Instead of bread, which is seldom 

 to be found among the common people, they use a root called uffa, which 

 they first cook, then peel, and cut into pieces ; it is not bad in flavour." 

 There seems to be some confusion here, uffa being apparently appa 

 (Anglice " hopper "). 



