New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-07

ing great court ceremony at kandN. ana 4iNeo
the following interesting description OF the hahd
some and extraordinary court-dress OF the hal-
dyan chiefs:
In the first place, though the kadyan chlclS
are naturally a fine handsome set Oh
men. their object seems TO he TO make 1nr MN,
selves appear much bigger: therefore 10 p IatI
comboy or long Kilt, they wear seven po curI
Of very fine sik or muslin. probably eihproldic'tu
in gold and heavily fringcd. each nine Narus ~
length. These siXtv-three yards are wound rouhu
and round the waist, caught up 90 as 10 i9rn
divided skirt over tight white trousers, Whicn Gnu
in neat frill above the bare brown iecli Mao
assured that Of the very great sWchs i iiteI-
ally contrive 20 wind on $50 yards! me ioidlue
is so cOntrived that the figure sraduaiiy 'aPeis
from the ankle up TO the waist, ronnd whicn lol
course, many inches wider than Inc real "ai,V
is fastened a broad goid-cmbrOdercd NclVct DELI.
The shape of the man thus adorned is nat OF Irg
top. Over a shirt or vest fastened WIN SPIEL le
die studs is worn short Jac'Tt Win very laisc
aigot sleeves to above the elbow These jackets
ore OF the brightest colored brocaded SILKS OF Nrl
vet. all gold -elnbr idered. as are also me very
peculiar and gorgeous velvet hats. OF which you
never see two alike though in shape all are Ike
very large rather fiat pincushons and surmouhtcd
by an eccentric ornament like miniature thrlst-
mas tree of gold and jewels. The gold clnbroid-
rry makes these head-dresses exceedingly heavy
The long black hair is parted on tie forehead llke
woman's, and is fastened at the back OF me
head in the usual knot. I'm enormous ring. worn
on the third or fourth finger, completes costume
whose gandncss is cfTcctnally harmonized by the
rich brown color of the darkeycd chei; ana a
pro,p of fifty or sixty of these very line blrs III
their very fine feathers is sight well worth
seeing"
Miss Cumming gives IN enticng account Of the
Oriental fishes to be found in the markets of Ccyon
II reads almost like catalogue of tropica flowers.
50 gorgeous, varied and strange the colors and
forms of these fishes. There are the parrot fishes
of lustrous green gold, purple or crimson. varied
by bands Of the richest scarlet, gray and yellow:
the whole being toned by cross stripes Of vel
vety black. Then there are great hre-ish OF
vivid fame color. and Red Sea perch of dazzling
scarlet. One lovely fish, about eighteen inches
long, is specially sacred 10 Buddha. being clothed
in his colors of lovely gold barred with rich brown
sienna. The red pahaya is also brilliant rcd 'ihco
with gold" But the enumeration OF these re-
splendent creatures occupies too much space 10
warrant further quotation. Let us proceed 10
notice the authors observations upon the Buddhist
relics which have made the island so famous Tor
ages Miss Cumming had the rare good fortune
10 inspect the Tooth of Buddha" (which of course
is not a tooth Of Buddha and not even the tooth
Of any human bcng-but has been for centuries.
and is now vencrated by scores of millions who
follow or profess 10 follow the Wheel OF the
Law" She has been able to append a drawing Of
the 1OOtn. as III II Is SHOWN ldsltItu ~ S'Ih''
wire which rises from the heart of a golden lotus
blossom. II is well in keeping with the gigantic
footprint on the summit Of Adams Peak. being
nearly two inches long and as thick my first
finger This precious relic is guarded with the
utmost precautions, the shrine il occupies being
enclosed in series of cells the external being
a strong iron safe.
While fully approaching the element Of crcdulity
licb fan into ho of
Buddhist relics, the author does no injustice
TO the alien religion bnt with much candor parr
les this superstition with equally striking examples
Of the credulous and supcrstiious beliefs which
have existed. and Of which many still exist. IN
Chrstemdom IT, for instance, the number and
character Of Buddhas teeth he caVlllcd At what
can he said for the fragments Of the true cross
distributed over Christendom in mas, sufficient 10
build line Of battle snip. as has been estimated
What also OF the saints whose heads are preserved
in several places at once or who have evolved more
than the usual number of legs, arms fingers and
toes since their interment. There have been wars
over Buddbas tooth or teeth To speak with greater
exactness: and 80 there have been over Christian
relics and monuments Human nature is very much
tie same. whether Christian. Buddhist or Mahom-
etan, and truly in matters of faith 1t docs not
appear 10 have grown much in the course OF the
ages. Miss Cumming is rather inclined TO gibe al
some of the Catholic priests in Ccylon because OF
their oppOrtunisin, though she show, that this
has nearly always been policy OF that Church.
She declares that she has herself seen in a Ceylon
Catholic chapel a statue Of the Virgin Mary one
side ard figure OF BuddAa on the other. She
also asserts that the Buddhist and Hindu ccrc-
monal is freely used in Catholic rites, professions,
etc
The Buddhist temples very ho>pitable, as Is
well known, and freely admit many diVinItics from
tie Hindu Pantheon. or course true buddhism
rejects all idolatry, but then true Buddhism la, in
the course OF centuries been overlat with "A thick
Gust OF Hinduism and as practised by the majority
OF its professors would certainly not be reccl-
nized by It's founder. The Buddhist monaetic
order has become what established orders Of monks
have always and everywhere become. Miss Cum
ming makes but bunder, and that is in abusing
the Theosophic Buddhists who laboring 10 re-
form the teaching and practice OF buddhism in Cry
lon and India Knowing evidently nothing AT
all of rsoteric Buddhism she fooshly and unwar-
rantably applies TO il yituperative and vulgar
characterizations, quoted from writers quite as
ignorant of the subject us herself. But it must be
said that she has in her something Of the bigot
and this the final chapters Of her second volume
indicate: nor has the wave Of modern progress L)r
the higher criticisms awakened in her any SYM
pathy or induced her TO study that science of rcg
ions which would nssurcily have taught 80
intelligent a woman broader and soundcf views
We have left ourselves little space to notice her
interesting account of crime and police in the
island IL appears that the British Government
has put premium upon murder and murderous
assaults by raising revenue upon the sale Of in
toxcating liquor. Such policy has been proved
too often for there to be any doubt as 10 it's
results II is essentially vicious. cruel and I'M
moral and n standing discrcdit to any Government
protesting to he Christian Statistics and INQUIRIES
show that the crimes OF violence increase in
proportion 10 the spread of the dnm-shop in
Ceylon Some Government officials have entered
vigorous protests against the policy, but so far
without effect. The Cinghalese are p singularly
itigious people and This Characteristic is developed
10 an extravagant extent by the land tenure. and
property tenure generally, which prevails there.