24 



MAMMALIA. 



[Chap. L 



other beast of the forest. If not armed with a gun, a 

 native, in the places where bears abound, usually carries 

 a light axe, called 66 kodelly," with which to strike them 

 on the head. The bear, on the other hand, always aims 

 at the face, and, if successful in prostrating his victim, 

 usually commences by assailing the eyes. I have met 

 numerous individuals on our journeys who exhibited 

 frightful scars from such encounters, the white seams of 

 their wounds contrasting hideously with the dark colour 

 of the rest of their bodies. 



The Veddahs in Bintenne, whose principal stores con- 

 sist of honey, live in dread of the bears, because, at- 

 tracted by the perfume, they will not hesitate to attack 

 their rude dwellings, when allured by this irresistible 

 temptation. The Post-office runners, who always travel 

 by night, are frequently exposed to danger from these 

 animals, especially along the coast from Putlam to 

 Aripo, where they are found in considerable numbers ; 

 and, to guard against surprise, they are accustomed to 

 carry flambeaux, to give warning to the bears, and en- 

 able them to shuffle out of the path. 1 



1 Amongst the Singhalese there ceeding, we saw him suddenly turn 



is a belief that certain charms are from an old tree and run back with 



efficacious in protecting them from all speed, his hair becoming un- 



the violence of bears, and those fastened and like his clothes stream- 



whose avocations expose them to ing in the wind. It soon became 



encounters of this kind are accus- evident that he was flying from 



tomed to carry a talisman either some terrific object, for he had 



attached to their neck or enveloped thrown down his gun, and, in his 



in the folds of their luxuriant hair, panic, he was taking the shortest 



A friend of mine, writing of an ad- line towards us, which lay across a 



Venture which occurred at Anara- swamp covered with sedge and 



japoora, thus describes an occasion rushes that greatly- impeded his 



on which a Moor, who attended progress, and prevented us ap- 



him, was somewhat rudely dis- proaching him, or seeing what was 



abused of his belief in the efficacy the cause of his flight. Missing 



of charms upon bears : — "Desiring his steps from one hard spot to 



to change the position of a herd of another he repeatedly fell into the 



deer, the Moorman (with his charm) water, but he rose and resumed 



was sent across some swampy land his flight. I advanced as far as 



to disturb them. As he was pro- the sods would bear my weight, 



