The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-18
A Strange, . Weird and an Inter-
esting Race Of Wild
People.
They Live Wholly In the Woods
and Talk by
Signs.
Something Abou Their Habits Of Lifo
and Their Religious AelIefs-Hard
Work for Missionaries.

While they dress and look like most saw
ages, still in ons important particular there
il a marked difference in these islanders.
They hsve no home, no place of shelter at
night. The wigwam Of the American abort
CINE or the tent Of the nomad Of the desert
would alike be diatasteful to the Vsddah,
whose home il the woods and his roof the
sky. The Veddahs, or wood tramps," i'm
habit the eastern part of Ceylon, and are
supposed TO be the original inhabitants Of
tho island. Tho traveller who leaves the
seaport of Colombo and travels in : north
easterly direction ID likely to meet some Of
the strange people in the lsgoons that are
numerous in the deep junglos that are to
be found there. Az the foot Of q leafy tres
the head of ono Of the ..queer families, may
be sesn orouching in the midst Of 9 tangle
OF vines and shrubs. Not far away.
perhaps, ID his vito sorting palm nuts.
Tho Younger members Of the family are
ACQUIRING the woods for berries, for 1t
is ON these natural products, supple
mented at times by Z mess OF hsh, that
these children OF nature subsist. Ths We'd
dahs are very wary, ind tho appearance Of
a white man causes father and mother to
cluok to their brood much like = hen calls
her chicks. and the party seeks to escape
observation BY plunging into the dsnss
woods, which they know so we'll.
The comparison Of their u%ttsrances to the
notes Of q fowl ID not IN unnatural one.
The dictionary of the Vsddahs (if they had
one) would not contain over . hundred
works. Like other uncivilizod tribes, most
of their communication is carried on BY
means Of signs and OSCILLATIONS. a re-
psated extension Of the upliftsd arms
means that the owner is impressed with the
grandeur or greatnsss Of the object lndl-
Gated. Anger they express by striking their
knees = lusty blow. while shame IL ex-
pressed by hiding their eyes. They appear
to have little sense OF humor. If they
have any at all it ID admirably concealed,
for exporsrs who have mingled with the
Vsddnhs for months have never seen one
laugh.
The efforts Of the missionaries to chris
tianize the natives awe been we'll nigh
fruitlsss. Repeated attempts to induce
them to build homes for themselves have
wear the clothing common to civilization.
Sir Emerson Tennent, an English traveller
who was in the country ten years and made
this people . study, says ''Ihey would not
use our kind of clothing If they could get
il for nothing. and some OF them would die
Al u UAOAAA gay ~ MI NSsy - =
house, "A missionary from England found
that svsn the cripples Of the Veddah prefer
the freedom of the wilderness to the COM
forts Of civilization. Having heard Of ar
old woodman who had broken his right leg
Just above the ankle, he got his native ser
wants to hunt him up and bring him along
by the promise Of a good dinner. BY
means Of an interpreter he thon offered
him the use Of . vacant cottage and two
free meals q day if he would rsnounce hi.
savage mode of life. As q sample of thsil
hospitality the missionary people fitted
him to partake Of q good supper, but the
next morning they found that the old fol-
low had deoamped under cover of darkness
A canvas tent which they sent him soor
after was picked up in a wayside ditch ths
next week. 1t had been punched full
thrown away a. too unWisldy for q fishing
metz
And yet travellers who have inquired into
the religious status of the Veddxh mind
havo learned that, although practical mo-
rality is yet unknown to them. they main
who learned to talk with the Veddnhs,
asked an aged woman if she knew where
she would 60 after dying. Her answer sur
priasd him. Some years ago. said she,
I'VE buried q man whose son had boon kid
mapped by the Nellerah hill folks, and who
WG6 Al4Uhb CRAZY AOAub AAVAAR w o40 D0-
fore he had q chance to help his boy. Fol
a week or 30 l almost thought he would
come back from his grave, but he never
came. 1t must be because he couldn't. Nc
one can. The logs are too heavy" refer
ring to the custom of burying their dead
under the stump of y fallen tres.
'sDo you now who made the world?'
asked the professor.
do you?" was her innocent counter.
query. THE monsoon rains make thu
grass grow, but We do not know who made
the stones or the mountains"
The marriage customs of the Veddahs ir
some ways resemble those of tho Mendo'
eino Indians of America. They content
themselves with removing the BRIDES ham,
mock from the tres in her fathers camp to
one in that OF her successful sutton. Along
the coast a custom il observed which seems
to discourage the intermarrying of people
of the same camp.
why did you not take a girl from your
, own camp?" asked a traveller of Il Veddah
who had welded, in their peculiar way, d
young squaw from q camp across the river.
I'VE never do," was his reply.
"Why not?' questioned the explorer. "-
The savage replied after q moment of re-
Fiction, 1T wouldn't do. Young folks of
the Same camp are kicked about together
too much," meaning probably that between
such close associates ths tender passion did
not often develop to any great e1seu:.
Still, with all their savage attributes there
are some good point about the untutored
Neddah. He can be trusted to respect the
rurIo riau pf n nultivntaI fslj ~hafhar IL