Speaking a language of
their own, with habits akin to those of wild animals, they keep entirely
apart from the Cingalese. They barter deer-horns and bees'-wax with the
travelling Moormen pedlers in exchange for their trifling requirements.
If they have food, they eat it; if they have none, they go without until
by some chance they procure it. In the meantime they chew the bark of
various trees, and search for berries, while they wend their way for
many miles to some remembered store of deer's flesh and honey, laid by
in a hollow tree.
The first time that I ever saw a Veddah was in the north of the country.
A rogue elephant was bathing in a little pool of deep mud and water near
the tank of Monampitya, about six miles from the 'Gunner's Coin.' This
Veddah had killed a wild pig, and was smoking the flesh within a few
yards of the spot, when he suddenly heard the elephant splashing in the
water. My tent was pitched within a mile of the place, and he
accordingly brought me the intelligence.
Upon arrival at the pool I found the elephant so deep in the mud that he
could barely move. His hind-quarters were towards me; and the pool not
being more than thirty yards in diameter, and surrounded by impenetrable
rattan jungle on all sides but one small opening, in which I stood, I
was obliged to clap my hands to attract his attention. This had the
desired effect; he turned slowly round, and I shot him immediately. This
was one of the Monampitya tank rogues, but in his muddy position he had
no chance.
The largest elephant that I have ever seen was in this neighbourhood. I
had arrived one afternoon at about five o'clock in a fine plain, about
twelve miles from Monampitya, where the presence of a beautiful lake and
high grass promised an abundance of game. It was a most secluded spot,
and my tent and coolies being well up with my horse, I fixed upon a
shady nook for the tent, and I strolled out to look for the tracks while
it was being pitched.
A long promontory stretched some hundred yards into the lake, exactly
opposite the spot I had fixed upon for the encampment, and, knowing that
elephants when bathing generally land upon the nearest shore, I walked
out towards the point of this projecting neck of land.
The weather was very dry, and the ground was a mass of little pitfalls,
about two feet deep, which had been made by the feet of the elephants in
the wet weather, when this spot was soft mud and evidently the favourite
resort of the heavy game. The ground was now baked by the sun as hard as
though it were frozen, and the numerous deep ruts made walking very
difficult.
