28 
PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
the island, among whom the Portuguese element largely predominates. It is thus 
that we account for the great variety in the physical characters, in the languages, 
religions, habits, and customs and costumes of the population of the present day. 
That the population of the island was originally derived from India might be in¬ 
ferred from its close proximity to that continent; and this supposition receives 
confirmation from the extensive antiquarian remains that are to be met with 
throughout the island, bearing resemblance to similar remains found on the conti¬ 
nent, and from the well-attested historical evidences of the frequent inroads it has 
been subject to by predatory bands from India; and, lastly, from the fact that the 
greater portion of the inhabitants of the north of the island, at the present day, are 
identical in physical characters, language, religion, manners, and customs with the 
people living on the opposite coast. It is not to the mainland alone, however, that 
we have to look for the sources of the numerous distinct and mixed races of men 
that are to be met with in Ceylon at the present day; from its geographical posi¬ 
tion, it became, at a very remote period of time, the centre of an extensive mari¬ 
time commerce that existed between distant nations of Asia; and thus, 
independent of the intercourse from India, the Arab and Persian on the one 
hand, the Malay and Chinese on the other, and more recently (since the con¬ 
quest of the island by the Portuguese, Dutch, and English) the western Europeans 
have exerted no inconsiderable influence on the variety of its population. 
Time would not permit me, on the present occasion, to enumerate all the castes 
or subdivisions of the Singalese, who constitute the great bulk of the population ; 
suffice it to say, that those living on the coast and low country are of a dark com¬ 
plexion, and inferior in physique to the Kandyans, or hill-country Singalese, who 
are mostly fairer, and speak the language in its greatest purity ; their traditions 
and history show that they originally came from India, and introduced the Budhist 
religion, and whatever arts of a civilized life are to be met with amongst them. 
They have a written history, and a small literature, in Pali and Singalese, and were 
always the dominant race till conquered by the English. Related to these by 
being largely mixed up with their race, and bearing many characters in common, 
though of purer descent, there is a race of men inhabiting the north-east and east 
of the island whose history cannot fail to be interesting to you, inasmuch as they 
represent the type of the early inhabitants of Ceylon, and bear remarkable corres¬ 
pondence with the early inhabitants of other countries more remote. I allude to 
the Yeddahs, or wild men of Ceylon, concerning whose history, judging from the 
meagre accounts of them in recent ethnological works, there is comparatively 
nothing known. Thus, Dr. Latham, in his “ Ethnology of the British Colonies 
and Possessions,” dismisses them very briefly, and associates them with cannibals. 
Knox and Davy give the best accounts of the habits of these people, both of whom 
have had the opportunity of obtaining their information from direct observa¬ 
tion. 
A few years residence in Ceylon has afforded me the opportunity of collecting a 
history of the habits and customs, and of observing the physical characters of this 
interesting race, which I hope will be the means of giving a more correct account 
of them, as well as of adding much new information concerning their history. 
They constitute but a small portion of the inhabitants, barely numbering 4,000. 
Though formerly they were more numerous. Their name is derived from the 
Singalese word wedda , meaning a bow man, in its primary signification, and wild , 
in its secondary ; hence the verb wedinawa , to shoot with a bow. The portion of 
the island where they are to be met with extends northward to a few miles of Trin- 
comalee, eastward towards Batticolao, southwards towards Badulla, and west¬ 
wards to the borders of the central province. This constitutes the district of the 
Veddah rati, or Yeddah’s country, of which Bristeune appears to be the head¬ 
quarters, so to speak. This must have been an important place at one time, as it 
is here, according to the Singalese legends, that Budhoo is supposed to have alighted 
on hiis first visit to Ceylon. For a description of the Yeddahs of this particular 
locality (who are generally called village Yeddahs, to distinguish them from the 
Veddahs living in remoter districts) we are indebted to the Rev. J. Gilling, who 
has contributed the following interesting history of them to the Ceylon Asiatic 
Society, as published in the last volume of their transactions. 
