Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-03-08
MORE slMIAN THAN HUMAN.
The Pygny ysdaahs Of Csyion bshsvee 70
supply the ,fissing Link.

supply the JlleesuS Ls"~'
The discovery Of tho missing link, says
German magazine, has been made known
by two Swiss scientists, brothers, VINO
declare that tho veddahs Of Ceylon I'LL
the void between man and ape. Inc
brothers have spent several years IN Cey-
lon In order TO study this little known bns
interesting race Of pygmies. and, quite
apart from the theory which they put nr-
ward, the facts which they publish con-
corning the veddahs are OF sufficient inter-
est TO command general attention.
The Veddahs are quito a distinct ssee
and arc more like apes than any other ha-
man beings. The skeletons and tho gem
sral organization OF their bodies are great
" similar 10 those Of the chimpanzees.
The Veddah is the best preserved specimen
Of the curly haired race. These black pyg-
mics lived In India many centuries before
Buddha OF Jesus Christ. Historians OK
the early centuries Of the Christian era
speak OF the Veddahs and describe their
mode Of living, which Is almost in every
respect the ZANE as at the present time.
We find in the MahavansO, the most I'M
portsnt Of the Cingalese chronicles, de-
tails concerning the Yakas, people who are
exactly like those whom we call Veddahs,
and the Sanscri, poem, "Ramavana, the
Had Of India, uses the word ape when
speaking Of the Yakas.
The lumber Of the Veddahs does not now
exceed 2,20O, yet they occupy an immense
tract of land, situated between degrees
and 0 degrees latitude aud 81 degrees ana
SO degrees longitude. IL you wish 20 see
the Veddahs in their pure state, free from
any mixture with the other races OF Cey-
Ion, you must go TO that part OF tho is-
land. They 1.-Two in small groups, or IN
families. apart from each other. each FAM
liz having it, own part OF the forest 70
hunt In. When the rniny season-Octo-
ber- December-comes around ana the ior-
est Is inundated. they take refuge among
the rocks and live In grottos. They are
thus thrown more together and become so
ciable: they arrange marriages and talk
about things In general. They recognize no
chiefs, know no laws and are quite devoid
of any ideas.
II has been said above that the Neddahs
resemble chimpapzees in certain respects.
II remains to be added that they are about
feet In height, their hair is thick and
tlncK, Ntlu NAitu III feAsr'N
hang their heads down upon their breasts
in way which gives them peculiar ap-
pearnnce. Among themselves they go
about naked, but when strangers are about
they adopt 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 ar
rows and their axes, which they always
have near them. Alcohol and salt are both
unknown to them.
Their communication with the Cingal-
csc il reduced to this During the night
they will place in front OF tho door OF a
Cingalese blacksmith some money ana
dried meat, with rough model, made OF
leaves and twigs, Of the AK which they re-
quirc. A few nights afterwsrd they will
go 70 the door and take away the AK, which
tho blacksmith has placed outside for
them. This shows what DISLIKE they
have to mixing with other people.
Their language is very simple and con-
sists of CingaleSc words SO altered that
tho natives If Ceylon cannot understand
| them aud partly Of words which are ap-
parently the remains Of some primitive
! language. OF course there are no family
names. Thy say 1.-THE great man, the
littlo man, " tho young woman, "the
old man. ct
They kno, nothing Of numbers. When
they arc talking OF many persons OF
things, they repeat several times word
which indicates single thing. They
therefore cannot say how old they are. Di-
| visions of time cannot be expressed, and
the dimensions of objects are indicated by
actions. When they first see looking
glass or lrearm, they act just as mon
KEYS do under similar circumstances Re
lgion, belief in good or evil spirits, teal
Of death, are all unknown to them. WheT
Veddah dies, the others leave him where
he has died and shun the place for Ions
time, during which the body disappears.
Yet, with all this lack OF Intelligence
they are honest and trustworthy. The!
live peaceably and have no internal feuds
which IL probably due TO the fact tina
they live apart, except in the rainy season
The English government has on severa
occasions tried to establish schools To-
their children and endeayored TO Chris
| tianize the Veddahs, but without success