174 Account of the Rodiyas. 



owing to this circumstance that they betook themselves to 

 feeding on animals which have died a natural death. 



Marriages among the Rodiyas is not attended with many 

 ceremonies; the day fixed having arrived, the bridegroom 

 accompanied by his friends goes to the bride's house in the 

 evening, taking with him a suit of apparel, and a pingo or two 

 of cakes and plantains, which he presents to the bride. Her 

 parents then entertain him and his friends with a repast, and 

 he, having stayed with her that night in her house, conducts 

 her the next day to his own. It, however, often happens 

 amongst them for two young people to meet together, and 

 agree between themselves to live as husband and wife with- 

 out consulting their parents or observing any ceremony at all* 

 The Rodiyas marry but one wife, though it is not uncommon 

 with them to have two at the same time, and also for several 

 brothers to cohabit with the same woman. Amongst a people 

 so debased as the Rodiyas, it is probable that incestuous in- 

 tercourse exists, but still, I do not think that it is practised 

 by them to the revolting extreme described by Knox, who, 

 perhaps, derived his information from prejudiced sources. It 

 must, however, be observed, that prostitution is openly carried 

 on by the Rodiya women, and their parents and husbands not- 

 only wink at it, but encourage them in their lewd propensities* 



The Rodiyas always bury their dead. They never wash 

 the corpse, but merely wrap it up in a mat, and carrying it on 

 a pole to the jungle next adjoining the kuppayams, inter it 

 there. On the seventh day after the burial, the friends of 

 the deceased assemble together in his late dwelling, and par- 

 take of a repast which is prepared for them by his nearest 

 surviving relatives. 



The Rodiyas have generally the reputation of being skilled 

 in charms and philters, but they are lamentably ignorant of 

 medicine, and in case of illness, are therefore obliged to 

 consult the Singhalese medical men, of whom, however, none 

 above the Durea caste condescend to attend on the patient in 

 his Kuppayam, but merely furnish his friends with the neces** 



