Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-02-17
THE JUNGLE WEDDAS.
A Singular Race of Savages In Ceylon--
Idiotic Athletes and their Customs.

Idiotic Athletes and their Customs.
At the opening meeting of the Antho-
biological Institute of London, an inter
esting paper was read by r. F. Harts-
horne, Esq, A. NJ, on "The Weddas
of Ceylon," perhaps the savages lowest
in the scale of intelligence in the world.
Some of these singular people-two
men and three women-were exhibited
to the Prince of Wales before leaving
the island. The remnants of the Weddas
occupy the eastern portion OF the island,
and are spread over an area Of ninety
miles by forty in extent.
They are divided into Jungle Weddas
and the semi-civilized or Village We'd
das, and it was to the habits of the for
mer that the author of the paper had
particularly directed his attention. Their
nomadic habits make estimation of their
numbers mere guess work, but they
were not supposed to exceed $50 in 1858.
They have no sort of dwellings, but
pass their lives roaming about in the
open air, taking shelter from storms
under rocks or in hollow trees.
Their food consists of honey, lizards,
monkeys, deer and wild boars. Their
arms are the bow and arrow, and they
are assisted in the chase by dogs, which
are their only domesticated animals.
They drink nothing but water, which,
however, is never used for ablution,
they having an idea that washing would
take away their strength. They chew
the bark of certain trees, but do not use
tobacco in any shape. The tallest We'd
das described were about five feet three
inches, and the shortest four feet one
inch; but Mr.. Hartshorne had seen one,
a young male, apparently of eighteen,
who stood five feet four and three-quar
ter inches. Notwithstanding their small
size and slight physique, the strength
which they possess in the arms, and es-
pecially in the left arm, is very remark
able.
This is due to their constant use of
the bow, which is six feet long, and
pulls from forty-eight to fifty-six
pounds, with an arrow three feet six
inches in length. This is pulled to the
head, and they dwell on their aim some
times for couple of minutes without
the slightest tremor of the left arm be-
ing perceptible. On one occasion the
author saw Wedda shoot dog thirty
five yards off, the arrow passing through
nearly the whole length of the animal,
entering the hind quarter and coming
out at the shoulder. Their only other
weapon is small ak.
Fire is still occasionally produced by
the firestick, which is made of the same
wood as their arrows, but more fire.
quently by flint and steel, which they
obtain in exchange for hides and bees
wax. Photographs were exhibited to
show their general appearance, and
these brought out their most striking
characteristics, viz, extreme shortness
of the thumbs and sharply pointed ell
bows. Their eountenances are abso-
lutely devoid Of any expression of intel
ligence, and their utter neglect of their
persons gave an air of extreme barbar-
ism.
The women wore necklaces and orna-
ments in their ears, for which beads and
empty cartridge-cases are employed.
Their faces wear all expressions of great
unhappiness, and they never laugh, all
attempts to induce them to laugh utterly
failing; indeed, the exhibition OF laugh
ter by another person produces unmls-
taxable expressions of disgust. When
asked why they do notlaugh, they reply:
"Why should we3 What is there to
laugh at?" They have no words to
convey the idea of colors or numbers,
and they cannot count on their fingers.
One of the most intelligent of the men
had utterly forgotten the names of his
father and mother, who were dead, and
had great difficulty in recalling the name
of his wife, whom he had seen only
three days before. A Village Wedda,
confined for the murder OF person who
he thought had bewitched him, after
three months attendance at school had
only been able to learn nine letters and
eighteen numbers. They have no idea
of the soul or of future state, and
though they speak of superior being,
man questioned on this point did not
know whether it was q good or an evil
being. He was not afraid of it, nor did
he pray to it. When death occurs the
body is wrapped in hide and buried by
the men, who dig grave with their
hatchets and pointed stakes.
No women are allowed to be present
at the interment. Nothing is put into
the grave, nor is the spot ever revisited.
An Offering of food is made to the dead,
with the adjuration: eye dead person,
take ye this food;" but the viands are
then divided and consumed by those
present. They have no idea of steal
ing, and polygamy and polyandry are
unknown.
Though they marry their sisters, they
never marry the eldest sister, and there
is no marriage ceremony beyond pre-
sentation of food to the parents of the
bride, who has no choice in the selection
OF her husband, the subsection of women
being complete. The eldest male We'd
da is regarded with patriarcbal respect,
but all others are equal, caste being un-
known. Very little information isto be
derived from their language, except that
il seems to be agreed among philologists
that it is the only savage language (which
is of unmistakable Aryan origin.