The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-22
CEYLON.
A Short Sketch OF This Asiatic Island.
Its Physical, Historic and Biographies
Features Briefly Summarized.

Qls own nome. anu THIS ID True IN one sense ,
IN that one should thoroughly understand
the laws and customs of society and govern
ment in which he is q factor and forms part
Of its growth and civic development Our
own country has grown so powerful, made
such strid es in science, commerce and mis-
sionary work, that the most remote tribes of
the world become of proximate interest to
the common student. AS long ago as 1929,
Sir James Emerson Tenneret, of England,
gave some important history Of the islands
of the Indian Ocean in his letters from
Egean or Green Islands. While secretary to
the Indian Board. he wrote a WORK called
Christianity in Ceylon " in which he shows
by their ancient record, heos.
tombs and temples that perhaps hundreds
Of years before the Christian era that island
was inhabited by civilized people. After
having visited the islands frequently
he wrote in 1861 a short natural history of
Ceylon which is pronounced very correct
and valuable.
The island of Ceylon is 271 miles long and
extends from north to south, being fifty. five
miles south of the southern portion of Hin
dostan, and is in the Indian Ocean, being
separated from the main land by the Polk
turesque. On its southern and eastern coasts
are bold aud rocky promontories, rich and
fertile valleys whose appearance is greatly
increased by their luxuriant tropical vegeta
ton, the verdant slopes of its lofty noun.
tains and the large groves of noble palms
draped in perennial green. 1t abounds In
elephants, bear, buffalo, deer. leopard, IL
gers, etc. The principal products are coffee
cotton, rice, cinnamon, cocosnut. colr. hides
pearls and plumbago. The climate is very
humid and hot. The year is divided into
three seasons; winter, which correspondes in
temperature to our summer, and lasts four
months; summer, which is extremely hot,
and likewise lasts four months; and the rain
season which Is four months long and has al
average of eighty inches rainfall.
Long before the Christian era, numerous
colossal tanks were erected for the purpose
of irrigation in winter and summer but there
are now massive ruins which excite
the curiosity of all seekers of antiquities
No snow ever falls on this island. notwith-
standing Mount Pedrotsllegslla lifts its tow
ering summit s. $50 feet above the level of
the sea. Not a great distance from this
mountain may be seen the sacred Adams
Peak, ,240 feet high, from whose summit
Booddha, the Mslabarian God, assembled into
Heaven.
The peoples of Ceylon are the Moors
Ksndyans, Hindoos Malabarians. the singu
lar Veddshs, said to be the most degraded
and filthy race on the globe, the descendants
of the old Dutch and Portuguese, and the pc
culiar race OF SIngalese. Booddhism 10 the
prevailing religion of the three former and
the one latter tribes or races. The Catholics
have established many churches on the
island, and in conjunction with the mission.
airy protestants of other denominations are
making inroads upon their dominant relig-
ion. The island is divided into six prov
inces, over which the Governor, appointed
by the English Crown, has control. He
stays at Columbo, the capital. Each tribe
has its own local government and are en-
trely distinct each from the other. The
writer had the pleasure of meeting Mr..
Bsrnum's show, and from him learned the
pecul 'srities of the 6ingalese race,
six OF whom he is the manager:
Five years ago Mr.. 2. +. Barnum con
ceived the idea of collecting an chronological
congress of nstionalities, and accordingly
sent Mr. @. w. Gaylord, better known as
"Deafy," being hardiot hearing who went to
Ceyl Ion and other countries in the southern
After giving bond for their re-
turn. etc., he returned with six Singalese
who are now q part of Barnum's show. Mr..
Mott says that he has learned from Mgpo-
sub (pro- Muhposuche) who can talk q very
little broken English. that they live on rice
ana fish and wear bat little clothing in their
native country. They worship Booddha
four days in the week. The bishop whom
they cali in their tongue Poorgee, breaches
makes and rules everything and in Teedo
Heaven) where Booddha is pleading for bis
race They call their ruler the Shin
began, VINO is elected for twenty eight
years or during life. singslese speak and
write dialect which is an offshoot of the
Sanskrit language. They claim to have origi-
mated from the Hindoos and 10 have settled
on Oey Ion 543 b c., which, however, may
be uncertain. They certainly belong to the
Malsysn or brown race. Their skin is darker
than the Mongolian and not 80 thick
as the African. Their hair is
black and straight They never use chairs or
stools in their home, but rest and eat while
sitting on their hunkers. noticed one OF
them as he left the hotel St Charles, take q
cigarette and light 1t said to Mr.. Mott,
do they use tobacco in Ceylon?" Mr.. Mott
laughed as though he thought ought to
have known better and he said, Yes they
all use tobacco. Men, women and children
all chew and smoke necessarily. Not only
that, bat these six, two OF whom are mere ba-
bies, eat over q half pound Of cayenne pepper
every week."
was surprised to see one of them take
pod of pepper and eat it without bread or
Wdbcl, huu kuOfc ~ WuCn nc oPPcoiOQ W iOA-
ish it Mgposuh said. me no like much
sgee COAT and carumboo (clothes)" In
Cey lon they only wear q girdle about the
loins, a combom hiatt and parrots (shoesl
which are made from thin skins. like san.
dsls merely protecting the bottoms of their
feet. They have learned to use calico in
their country and have large commerce
with Eogland and other countries. They
take great pride in telling or trying
to tell about the great temple of
Danbool. which was built by the natives
about 100 years b c., and dedicated 70
Boodhs. The temple is profusely adorned
with images and fine sculptures When you
go to Ceylon don't fail to stop at Trincoma.
lee, where yoa may gather pearls and fill
your pockets with the most precious anne
thysts. LEE.
THE FATE OF rae BENDERs.