Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-05-12
mistellantUus.
From the Springfield Republican,
The Island of Ceylon and it's People.

Some Of the readers of your journal may be
,crested in few statements which propose
send you, from time to time, concerning the
mate, productions, and the customs of the
a7eople in the island of Ceylon.
1t contains population of about a million
ni one third lies in the Indian ocean, between
he ) and l0' of north latitude, is about three
0ndred miles long from north to south, and
nearly two hundred miles in width. In the in
mrOr are high mountains, of which Adams
Peak is the highest, to which place many go
% pilgrimage, expecting to find there the foot
Ents Of Adam. The people inhabiting the
Interior and southern part of the island, speak
he CngaIeSe language, and in religion are
Boodhists. Those in the north part are Hin.
.'os speaking the Tamil language, who came
hon the continent IF India. Many Tamilians
Hlding in ColuMho, and also great numbers
cone from the continent to labor on the coffee
states in the interior These seldom become
ornament residents in the country
! propose to notice more particularly the
"ftheTn part, caiied the province of Jaffua. 1t
an island by itself, separated from the main
sand by shallow water, which in one place is
ordabe. This is called Elephants Pass, be-
'au;e wild elephants cross there into Jaffua.
At the west and southwest are other small is
andS which nFe inhabited, and present the
4me general appearance, in the face of the
country and productions, as Jaffua, although
Ioae OF them are as fertile The province,
I'oa north to SOUTH is about twenty-five miles
Fde, and from east to west from fifty to
WI! miles, containing a population of about
ZooV00 The face Of the country is level and
10 no place is it more than fifty or sixty feet
above the level of the sea. Much of the coun-
'fT is still uncultivatcd and destitute of popu-
lilon. The people are clustered together in
aIages, and sometimes four or five families
ne found in one small enclosure, and perhaps,
one honSe. Some parts are so thickly set
led that within radius of four miles there is
population of 10000, and yet most of the
eope have gardens and own land for raising
nee IN the open fields adjoining the villages
The villages in Jaffua are quite in contrast
with those of southern India. There they ap-
''aF much like clusters of hay stacks close to.
sether, surrounded often by mud wall for
protection from robbers. The houses are gen
7aIy thatched with straw. Some circular, 9TH
'S square, and often there is not 4 tree to be
een IN the enclosure In Jaffua the houses
u a5e built in the midst of .he gardens, surround
"a oy an abundance of shade trees II look
."s upon the village from distance you would
sSe scarcely house. Here and there one
,".Sn' De dlScerned amid the green foliage, but
y, I'''in radius of half or three-fourths a mile
@ .ue'e may be population of 10000. The
spIlenS i are enclosed by hedges made of sever
,;, n'uuS Oh trees peculiar to the country Some
,[S nh Sney are covered with thorns and often
ond I. e braided leaves of the cocoa-nut-tree,
sro 1 on.no ,r",ss OF the Palmyra palm The people
NO. ''1'S VI the soil, and are consequently
w. ,Io'T independent than those in India, where
r.o rso a"u Is al held by the government and the
people are tenants
lne people in Jafrua generally build better
.ouSeS than those in Southern India. They
,s.. a.e not SO great variety of patterns as in
,fD 10 country AS their fathers built and as
Snasters prescribed, so they are content 70
~ age after age. The poorer classes hu;Id
as'e Shantles or novels, round, square. or oh.
W as may be the custom of those aropnd
.vm. These are always covered with the
@'eS Of the Palmyra or cocoa-nnt-tree. Some
'u1'ched around with the braided cocoa-nut
avs called eadyoas Others have smod wall