The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-02
THE vEDDAHs OF CEYLON.
They Live in Trees and Are as wild
- -- az OrRng Ontangs.

q
Ceylon Letter in New York Herald.
It was principally to see the "Veddahs'
that we journeyed inland, but the recent
heavy rains made 1t impossible for us to
go to their haunts I gained, however, all
the information I could respecting this
connecting link between civilization and
absolute savagery. The Veddahs are sup
posed to have been the original inhabi-
tants of the island. They are divided into
two classes-the village Veddahs and the
rock or tree Veddahs. The former are
far i'm advance of the latter. They have
a language some idea of communities,
have chiefs, and are a lower order of the
usual oriental native, but the tree We'd
dahs are as thoroughly savage as the
torang outang. They simply live. They
have no customs, no laws, no habtation
except the trees and caves, no form of
government, no politics, no clothing, no
ambition, no religion, no care or sorrow,
no regrets no crimes. no dudes, lawyers,
doctors or golf players, They are ami
mails with souls, but monkeys in every
other respect
The portrait of a dog was found in
Egypt lately. 1t was over 5000 years old,
but it was the same old dog that yelps
in the streets of Cairo to-day. The hui
man family has been shaped precisely as
it is now since the original man manufac-
tory was started. Monkeys, apes, orang
outangs and others of that species never
have been shaped like men any more than
they are now. and men never have re-
sembled the form of monkeys more than
they do now; but here in CeylOn we find
a section of the human race, with one eX-
ception-form-exactly like the monkey
species. They live precisely in the same
way and act so much like them that no
one can doubt the strange connection be-
tween man and animals.
The tree Neddahs shun humanity much
in che same way that wild animals do. A
planter whom ] met on the way up the
mountains said that when out hunting one
day he heard a NOISE in the branches above
him. Fearing it might be some wild animal
about to spring at him, he raised his rifle
TO his shoulder AS he gazed upward, the
imploriug face of a woman met his eye. 1t
was a Neddah He lowered his gun. The
woman carried a young child and was
ciinging to the limb of large shady tree
Not desiring to frighten the object. he NOV
ed a few steps backward. She Immediate
" jumped 10 a lower limb, holding the
child under her arm; then jumped again to
the ground and disappeared in the thickets
like fash He listened a few moments
and soon heard a series of wild yells from
the direction she had taken and great
rush through the tnickets. Evidently she
had notified others, and they were making
for the rocks to hide
The climate, DIS Wei as the products of
the island, makes 1t possible for these crea-
lures TO exist easily. The bread fruit tree
the jack fruit tree, the cocoanut palm. the
mango and others, together with crystal
SPRINGS in the rocks furnish these Wild
people with health giving food and drink
The question arises Is this the natural
condition of man, and are the Veddahs
more coutented and happier than we are?
No doubt their constitution IS that all
are born equal, and their chief aim in life
is the pursuit of happiness. After all, a
family tree for hot weather is not such a
bad idea. Perhaps if some of our over
worked citizens during The heated term.
instead of frequenting sim hotter summer
resorts. with poor fare and crowded rooms.
would take their families up into a shady