The Southern herald., 1913-03-07

NGLISH missionaries, travelling
In the interior OF beautiful Cey-
Ion, report the finding Of a
race Of Veddahs among whom
the male is beautiful and the
female homely and coarse. All the
scant refinement the people possess
y found in the male. The female
does all the manual labor. often goes
20 war. and the male sits about look
ing after his personal appearance
Some Of these men are said to be
fairly beautiful and physically far
ahead of the American or European.
The Veddah men have splendid
physiques, being tall. judged by our
standards. The tallest of them are
six feet two inches tall, while five
rect and zen inches is considered only
An average height.
The men have splendid girth ex-
pansion, long sinewy arms, and 1.-the
well shaped limbs. Their faces and
features are largs and bold. but
strong and well proportioned. Added
strength is given by their expression,
which is dauntless.
Virility and courage are also seen in
their large hands with their long Ia
pering fingers 1t is not surprising
that they show such magnificent
strength, for they spend much of their
time handling the bow. hunting and
hghting. They seldom quarrel with
their neighbors, but their eyes are
30 keen and they are so fleet-footed
and strong that they have little trou-
bic in worsting an enemy.
Their favorite pastime is hunting
and they are such skilled bowmen
that after they have been hunting for
q few days they usually get plenty
Of game for their own families and
sven enough to give feasts to their
neighbors.
When practieing with bow and ar
row, they often throw themselves on
the ground, handle their weapons
with their toes and shoot backwards
over their heads They sometimes use
this method in hunting their game,
and more often when attacking an
enemy.
Women Old and Ugly at Twenty.
The women Of this race are as un-
attractive as the men are handsome.
They are 80 hard worked that gener-
ally speaking they are old and ugly
at twenty. AS children they are strong
and fresh looking. but by the time
they reach womanhood their faces
become haggard and shriveled and
carved with deep lines OF care. Their
once strong bodies have the same
tired and fagged-out look
The women are far less particular
about personal appearance than are
the men. The women are satisfied to
ta-.e an old piece Of cloth which they
wind about their waists. reachin.. to
the ieet. The women's hair is heavy.
but instead Of wearing 1t in long
curls about their shoulders they draw
II back tight and fasten it in knot
at the back Of the neck. They are
fond Of jewelry, and when they can
get nothing better they wear glass
beads and iron bracelets. Many of
the men have more than one wife, but
even where they have several they
manage to keep them busy with the
cooking, caring for the house, and
building butts. When the womel find
time they follow the men on their
hunts and sometimes take part in
war. They have plenty OF courage
and are skilled IN handling the bow
ard arrow
The most daring of these men steal
their wives in the dead of night, cap.
turing them from some neighboring
tribe. The common way of getting
their women is to buy them, paying
Tor them with arrow points. bows and
arrows
The Veddah men seem to- be in.
different to their women. even when
shey are young and fresh looking, and
sra sure 70 ignore them as they grow