Account of the Rodiyas. 173 



their bold bearing and expressive countenances; but the 

 mendicant life which they lead has so completely cramped 

 their physical energies that they are exceedingly averse to 

 labour. Their women are generally handsome, which, with 

 their winning address, has often enticed many a Singhalese 

 youth to go and live with them in their Kuppayams, abandon- 

 ing his family and connexions, and enduring with stoical in- 

 difference the reproaches and disgrace consequent upon his 

 conduct. In their dress, the Rodiyas exibit nothing peculiar ; 

 it is the same as that of the lower orders of the Singhalese, 

 with the exception, that the men have no covering for their 

 heads, and the women for the upper parts of their bodies. 

 Some of the young girls, however, in the Central Province, 

 do not at present allow their bosoms to be exposed, but have 

 a gaudy handkerchief gracefully tied round them, Both the 

 men and women let their hair grow to its full length, and tie 

 it up behind into a knot, and the women wear a brass or tin 

 trinket, called "Kooroo" and a roll of dyed palm leaf, called 

 "Kola? on each ear, a string of chank or glass beads about 

 the neck, and a brass armlet above the right elbow. 



With regard to their diet, my informant, who is himself a 

 Rodiya, from the Seven Korles, denies that they ever eat 

 carrion, or any animals but elk, deer, pig, hare, monkey, 

 squirrel, mongoose, civet, cat, guana, and tortoise. Mr. 

 Jayetilleke, the intelligent Modliar of the Kornegalle Cutcher- 

 ry, whom I have consulted on the subject, says, however, that 

 they eat every thing that conies in their way, and that they 

 relish nothing so much as dead cattle in a putrified state ; and 

 it should be remembered, that Knox also mentions the fre- 

 quent contests they used to have with the weavers, in his 

 time, for this loathsome food. The wild animals they either 

 hunt with dogs, or shoot with bows and arrows, in the use of 

 which they are reputed to be as expert as the Veddahs* 

 Under the Kandyan Government they were, however, not 

 permitted to hunt or shoot any game, and it was no doubt 



