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



at the foot of that mountain. Here the population is 

 exceedingly sparse, and the only form of culture is of the 

 sporadic chena order, as gardens can be hardly said to exist 

 in this remote corner of the Mahd Vedirata, or " great Vedda 

 country." 



It is surprising to find that what population there is 

 consists of pure Sinhalese, and it is more remarkable that the 

 people here allege that the real Vedda does not exist in the 

 neighbourhood. The only information I could obtain respect- 

 ing this vastly interesting race was, that they once existed 

 here, and I was shown a path leading through a valley that 

 was said at one time to be defended by Veddas, who would 

 permit nobody outside their own community to pass without 

 paying toll in betel leaves or the flesh of animals, such as 

 deer or wild pig. The Korala, an old man of about seventy 

 years of age, informed me that at Daranigala Veddas existed 

 in his time ; and his description of them approximated that of 

 the received character as given by Knox and the Portuguese 

 writers. His story, however, was not free from romantic 

 colouring ; for example, he said that the " Vedda Nuwara " 

 was situated within a mass of rock-bound mountains that 

 could not be climbed, and that the only means of approach 

 was through a tortuous cavern, the mouth of which was 

 guarded by a large waterfall. Once within the rock-formed 

 walls the " city " was said to be large, and the more well-to- 

 do people therein owned, and actually rode, horses ! It is, I 

 think, needless to comment on this fantastic mixture of 

 geographical inaccuracy and improbability. 



I may add, however, that my informant made the remark- 

 able statement that the real Vedda never laughs, and that it 

 would be fatal for a stranger to do so — a statement in support 

 of Mr. Stephens' remarkable Paper delivered before this Society 

 several years ago, and which at the time was received with 

 some incredulity. 



No trace of any kind did I find of Vedda occupation, and 

 in the language of the people I could detect no words that led 

 one to suspect interpolation of language. In the names of 

 places, or of plants, I heard only Sinhalese, unless indeed the 

 name "Govinda-hela " can be taken as an incomplete exception, 



