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



had small huts made of cow-dung, clay, and rattan, and 

 roofed with cocoanut leaves, of only a man's height, and built 

 in haphazard way here and there midst the vegetation. The 

 men, women, and children were almost naked, wearing only 

 a small cloth round the waist which covered their private 

 parts, but barely reached to their dark knees. The women 

 and girls showed no signs of bashfulness, coming towards 

 us with breasts and limbs uncovered. They willingly 

 offered their services to us in all innocence and modesty to 

 get for us what was obtainable. We gladly accepted their 

 offers, of course paying them well. Quietly and in peace 

 they live under the rule of the Hollanders in simple 

 manner (gaining their living) by fishing and agriculture, 

 which they carry on with very few implements. 



Three of us now set out to walk inland through verdant 

 forest towards the small town of Dondery. On the way we 

 were highly amused by great numbers of monkeys and 

 baboons which sprang with great nimbleness from tree to 

 tree in the forest. We continued our journey, and crossed 

 some hills thickly covered with jungle, and towards noon 

 reached the small town of Dondery. We found it bordered 

 the sea, and was inhabited by Cingalese. Some of them told 

 us that in former times it had been one of the principal 

 towns of the Kingdom of Candy, and they showed us the 

 remains and ruins of the ancient royal palace. The ruined 

 walls still bore witness to the beauty and great size which 

 formerly had marked the buildings. We were told that 

 since the war between the King of Kandy and the Portuguese, 

 the power of the latter had worked this destruction. The 

 broken down walls lay in heaps of debris, overgrown with 

 jungle, unsafe, and full of hollows, where tigers, jackals, 

 wolves, snakes, and many other creatures found a hiding- 

 place. 



We then left the place, and decided to take a walk 

 through the small town of Dondery. This we found well 

 laid out with good roads and pleasant cross roads, and con- 

 taining much better houses than the Qalyettis. Inland were 



