74 
District of Jafnapatam. , 
introduced into every department of this district by Colonel 
Barbet of the seventy-third regiment, who has been commander 
and collector of it ever since it came into the possession of 
this country. His conduct has rendered him equally esteemed 
by his countrymen and the natives. 
The woods towards the interior, which separate this district 
and the others we have hitherto described from the King of 
Candy’s dominions, are inhabited by an extraordinary race of 
savages, supposed to be the aboriginal inhabitants of the island, 
and known by the name of Bedahs or Vaddahs. As they never 
leave the recesses of their woods, and carefully conceal them- 
selves from the eye of every stranger, little is known concern- 
ing them ; and many Dutchmen have resided for years on the 
island, wdio w'ere so far from having seen any of them, that 
they looked upon the reports handed about of them in much 
the same light as we in Europe do the stories of faries and 
Lapland witches. The exaggerated and improbable tales related 
of them were indeed enough to make any one, who had not 
actually seen them, look upon the whole as fabulous. There 
are, however, certain circumstances sc well authenticated that 
they can admit of no doubt ; and these I shall detail when 
I come to give a particular account of the several races' of 
people who inhabit this island. 
The road to the south-west of Jafnapatam is '‘extremely te- 
dious and disagreeable. The paths are often very narrow, pass- 
ing through thiclv woods and heavy sands ; and are very much 
infested with wild hogs, elephants, and buffaloes. These [circum- 
stances render a journey by this way very unpleasant ; and those 
who are compelled by business to undertake it prefer, if the 
season permit, to coast along in those large passage boats cal» 
I 
