88 



The Veddahs of Bintenne. 



They assist the Singhalese among whom they live in various 

 matters by working for them, and thus a few of them learn 

 to cultivate chenas and to take care of their crops in houses. 



Of education they are totally destitute. Formerly schools 

 were established and supported among them, but the labour 

 and money spent thereon were in vain. The people had no 

 taste for learning, and wanted their children to accompany 

 them to the jungle in quest of food. They have no written 

 language and can only count to a very limited extent. Their 

 habits at present are certainly too migratory to present any 

 encouragement to systematic efforts for their instruction. 



Their religion is devil-worship. They will acknowledge 

 that there is one God, whom they believe to be greater than 

 the devil, but him they neither fear nor worship. One of 

 them said to me, " When God gives us food, we are glad, and 

 wish him to sit on our mat; when he does not, we curse him 

 and will not allow him to do so." They appear to know little 

 or nothing of a future life, of heaven or hell, where the soul 

 goes to when it leaves the body, or whether it will be happy 

 or wretched. A number of them were formerly baptized *on 

 a profession of faith in Christ and willingness to abandon 

 their superstitions ; but almost all of these have gone back 

 again to their former habits and follies. What they formerly 

 heard they have forgotten. They declare it impossible for them 

 to live without devil-worship. " When they did so, their children 

 were sick, their cattle died, their trees would not bear fruit, 

 and their crops were cut off." It was vain to expostulate and 

 argue. They believe the souls of their departed relations to 

 be devils who have power to hurt them, and therefore they 

 perform ceremonies to them at regular seasons, and espe- 

 cially when they are sick. The Singhalese who live among 

 them exert a bad influence over them in these respects. It is 

 very difficult indeed to get fit persons, who know their lan- 



* Up to 1844 there had been baptized in Bintenne 163 men, 48 women, 

 and 85 children: since that time very few have received this rite. 



