Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-30
MANS REAL PROTOTYPE.
Discovery of the Missing Link in the
VedGo-s of CeylOn,

Discovery of the Missing Link in the
VedGes of Ceylon.
The latest discovery of the missing link,
| says a German magazine. has just been
mace known by two Swiss scientists, broth
ers' VINO declare that the Veddas of Ceylon
Mi the void between man and ape.
Inc brothers have spent several years in
Ceylon In order to study this little known
but interesting race of plgmies, and, quite
apart from the theory which they put for
wa the facts which they publish con-
corning the Veddas are Of sufficient interest
to command general attention.
The Veddas are quite distinct race, and
are more like apes than any other human
beings. The skeletons and the general or
sanization OF their bodies are greatly SINH
lar to those of the chimpanzees, The Vedda
Is the best preserved specimen of the curly
haired race. These black pigmies lived in
India many centuries before Buddha or
Jesus Christ.
Historians of the early centuries Of the
Christian era speak Of the Veddas and de-
scribe their mode of living. which is almost
In every respect the same at the present
time. We find in the Mahavanso, the most
important of the Cingalese chronicles. de-
tails concerning the Yakas. people who are
exactly like those whom we call Veddas. and
the Sanscrit poem, "Ramavana." the Had
Of India, uses the word APE" when speak
ing of the Yakas.
The number of the Veddas does not now
exceed 1900, yet they occupy an immense
tract Of land, situated between degrees
and degrees latitude and 81 degrees and
81 degrees longitude. If you wish to see the
Veddas in their pure state, free from any
mixture with the other races of Ceylon,
you must go to that part of the island.
They live in small groups. or in families,
apart from each other each family hav-
ing its own part Of the forest to hunt in.
When the rainy season (October-Decem-
ber) comes around and the forest Is mum
dated, they take refuge among the rocks
and live in grottos They are thus brought
together and become sociable: they arrange
marriages and talk about things in general.
They recognize chiefs, know no laws
and are quite devoid of any ideas.
1t has been said above that the Veddas
resemble chimpanzees In certain respects;
1t remains to be added that they are about
four feet in height their hair is very thick
and very black, and when in trouble or
grieved they hang their heads down upon
their breasts In a way which gives them a
very peculiar appearance.
Among themselves they go about naked,
but when strangers are about they adopt a
covering of leaves or cloth. They do not
know what beds are. but pass the night
naked upon the moist ground without the
slightest covering.
Their only weapons are their wooden
bows and arrows and their axes. which they
always have near them. Alcohol and salt
are both unknown to them.
Their communication with the Cingalese
Is reduced to this: During the night they
will place in front of the door of a Cinga-
lese blacksmith some money and dried
meat, with a rough model, made of leaves
and twigs, of the AK which they require.
few nights afterward they will go to the
door and take away the ak which the
blacksmith has placed outside for them.
This shows what a dislike they have to
mixing with other people.
Their language Is very simple. and con-
ssts Of Cingalese words so altered that the
natives of Ceylon cannot understand them.
and partly of words which are apparently
the remains of some primitive language. OF
1.-The great man." 'the little man." 1.-THE
young woman" 1.-The old man." &C.
They know nothing of numbers When
they are talking of many persons or things
they repeat several times a word which in
dicates a single thing. They therefore can
not say how old they are. Divisions of time
cannot be expressed and the dimensions of
objects are indicated by actions.
When they first see looSing-g glass or a
frearm they act Just as monkeys do under
similar circumstances.
Religion. belief In good or evil spirits a
fear Of death. are all unknown to them
When Veida dies the others leave him
long time, during which the body dsap-
pears.
Yet. with all this lack Of intelligence, they
are honest and trustworthy. They 1--we
peg cea blv and have no internal feuds which
IL proba bly, due to the fact that they live
anort, excent in the ranv season.
The ENGLISH government has several
children and endeavornd to Christianize the
Veddas but without success