The Ceylonese, according to Mr Knox, arc of a healthy constitution, and many of them live to the age of fourscore and upwards. During the wen season, how ever, they are subject to a variety of diseases, particu larly fevers and !luxes. Leprosy appears to be very pre valent among them, and the streets of Columbo swarm with Cingalese beggars labouring under this dreadful disorder. But the disease which particularly excites their apprehensions is the small-pox. It is looked i. pon as the immediate instrument of divine vengeance, and therefore they employ no charms or incantations for the recovery of those who are so unhappy as to labour untler it. If any one die of this disorder, he is thought to be accursed by God, and therefore they deny his body the common rites of burial.
The reports of the progress of vaccination in Ceylon are peculiarly interesting, as they place in the strongest light the success of that practice. The ravages which the small-pox formerly made in this island were dread ful ; but in 1802, the progress of that destructive malady was happily checked, by the introduction of the pox ; and from that period till the beginning of 1810. the number of persons vaccinated, amounted to 128.732, of whom there were no fewer than 25,697 in the course of the preceding year, besides some others inoculated by private individuals. Indeed, so completely effectual had the practice proved, that, according to the best informa tion, the small-pox had not appeared in any part of the island from February 1808 to October 1809, a period of not less than 20 months. It was then, indeed, introduced at Jaflanapatam, by a country boat from Quilon on the Malabar coast ; but it attacked only a few individuals who happened not to have been inoculated. We have here, therefore, a striking proof of the beneficial effects of general vaccination. Contagion may be introduced into a country, but it dies for want of susceptible sub jects: a lire-brand may be applied, but there is no fuel to produce a conflagration.
In ordinary cases. the higher ranks buin the dead : but the inferior casts bury them without any particular cere mony. The house in which a person dies is always de serted for some months, or even for e. cr. The of the sea is considered as the best for pthifying such a place ; but when this cannot be had, ti_ev use the wa ter of a stream, cowdung, and curcuma. In oruer, how ever, to avoid this inconvenience and trouble, they sometimes have recourse to the following cruel prac tice. When the relations of a sick person despair of his recovery, they take him into a wood, in spite of his cries and groans, and there leave him perhaps in the ago naps of death. It sometimes happens that people thus left recover and return to their families, without, it is said, entertaining the smallest resentment against their unfeeling relations. This atrocious practice is particu larly common in the poorer provinces of the kingdom of Candy. See Percival. Knox. Cordiner, vol. i. Asiatic Researches, vol. vii.
But besides the Ceylonese, there is a singular class of people in this country called Bedahs, who inhabit the deepest recesses of the forests, and whose origin has never yet been traced. They are scattered over the woods in different parts of the island; but are most nu merous in the province of Bintan, which lies to the north-east of Candy, in the direction of Trincomalee and Batacolo. This singular people subsist entirely by hunting deer and other animals, with which the Forests supply them, and on the fruits which spontaneously grow around them. They seem to have no houses, for they usually sleep either on the branches or at the foot of trees. In the latter case, they surround them with thorns and other bushes, to keep off wild beasts, or by their rustling to give warning of their approach ; and if the smallest noise rouses the apprehensions of the Bedah, he climbs up the tree with the utmost expertness and ce lerity. Though they do not acknowledge the sovereign ty of the king, yet once a-year they send two deputies with honey and other little presents to him. On their arrival at the gate of the palace, they send word to his majesty, that his cousins wish to see him. They are immediately introduced, kneel before him, then get up, and enquire familiarly about his health. The king re
ceives them well, accepts of their presents, gives thent others, and orders that certain marks of respect be shewn to them on their return from the palace. Those of the Bedahs who skirt the European territories, barter the natural productions of the forests with the Cingalese for the few articles which their simple mode of life re quires ; but in order to prevent themselves from being surprised or made prisoners while carrying on this traf fic, they emrloy a curious method. When they are in want of cloth, iron, knives, or any articles of smith-work, they approach some village during the night, and de posit, in a place where it is likely to be immediately dis covered, a certain quantity of their goods, along with a talipot leaf, expressive of what they wish in return. On a following night they repair again to the same place, and generally iind the expected reward awaiting them ; for although they are easily satisfied, and readily allow the advantage to the person with whom they deal, yet if their request is treated with neglect, they do not fail to watch an opportunity of doing him mischief. The Cingalese, as they can afterwards dispose of the articles afforded by the Bedahs, lind the traffic profitable ; and in EOM: places they even go into the woods, carrying with them articles of barter. The clogs of the Bedahs arc cmarkable for their sagacity, and not only readily trace out game, but also distinguish one species of animal from another. On the approach of any carnivorous ani mal, or of a stranger, they immediately put their mas ters upon their guard. These faithful creatures arc, in deed, invaluable to them, and constitute their chief riches. When their daughters are married, hunting dogs form their chief pot tion ; and a Bedah is as unwilling to part ‘vith his dog, as an Arabian with his horse. Sce Perci val. Asiatic Researches., vol. vii The learning of the Ceylonese consists chiefly in some pretensions to skill in astrology. It appears, however, that they were formerly possessed of some literature, and had attained some refinement in the arts. Their language consists of two dialects, which differ consider ably from each other, and have separate grammars. To read and write are no ordinary accomplishments among the natives of Ceylon. In Candy, they are chiefly con fined to the learned men of the sect called Goeries, who are retained by the king to execute all the writings of state, and those which relate to matters of religion. The Arabic is the character which they employ on these oc casions. In writing, they commonly employ, instead of paper, the leaf of the talipot tree. From these leaves, which are of an immense size, they cut out slips from a foot to a foot and a half long, and about a couple of inches broad. Having smoothed the slips, and taken off any excrescences with a knife, they are ready for use without any further preparation. In writing, they em ploy a fine-pointed steel pencil, set in a wooden or ivory handle, for engraving the characters on the talipot leaf, which is very thick and tough : and in order to render the letters more visible and distinct, they afterwards rub them over with oil mixed with charcoal powder, which has the effect of rendering them so permanent that they cannot then be effaced. If one slip is not sufficient to contain all they wish to write on any particular occasion, they string several together with a bit of cord, and at tach them to a piece of board, in the same way as we file newspapers. Sometimes these talipot books are richly ornamented, and bound in thin lacquered boards of ivory, or even silver and gold. In the dispatches which were sent by the king to the Dutch government, the monarch seemed particularly anxious to display his magnificence in the splendour and richness with which they were executed. The writing was inclosed in leaves of beaten gold, in the shape of a cocoa-tree leaf. This was rolled up in a cover richly ornamented, and almost concealed in a profusion of pearls and precious stones. The whole was enclosed in a box of silver or ivory, which was sealed with the emperor's great seal. The same splendour has been observed in the letters sent to our governor, since we have had possession of the island. See Percival.