still more uncommon; and the light blue or red eye and
light flaxen hair of the Albino are the most uncommon of
all. In size they generally exceed the low-land Singhalese
and most of the natives of the coast of Coromandel and
Malabar:, they are inferior to Europeans. Their average’
height may be about five feet four or five inches. They are
clean made, with neat muscles and small bones. For
Indians, they are stout, and generally have capacious chests
and broad shoulders, particularly the inhabitants of the
mountainous districts, who, like highlanders in general;:
have rather short, but stropg and very muscular ^thighs and
legs. Their hands and feet are commonly very small ;•
indeed, so much smaller than ours that they appear outuof
proportion. The form of their head is generally good,
perhaps longer than the European,—a peculiarity,< according
to Dr. Spurzheim, of the Asiatic. Their-features*are commonly
neat, and rather handsome : their countenance# are
intelligent and animated. Nature has given them, a liberal
supply of hair, which they universally allow to grow on
their face, as well as head, to a considerable» length, beingiof
opinion that the beard does not deform but improve the
face; and certainly, in many instances, I have seen it have
the effect of giving to the countenance an air of dignity
that would have disappeared with the use of th~e~fazor.
“ The Singhalese .women are generally well-made and
well-looking, and often handsome. Theirjeountrymen, whf
are great connoisseurs of the charms of the se"», and-who
have books on the subject and rules to. aid the judgement,
would not allow a woman to be a perfect belle, unless of. the
following character, the particulars of which I shall give in
detail as they were enumerated to me by a Kandian courtier,
well, versed and deeply read in such matters ‘ Her hair
should be voluminous, like the tail, of a peacock; long,
reaching to the knees, and terminating in graceful curls;
her eyebrows should resemble the rain-bow; her eyes the
blue sapphire, and the petals of the blue, manilla flower;
her nose should be like the bill of the hawk; her lips should
be bright and red, like coral, or the young leaf of the iron-
tree ; her teeth should ,.be small, regular, and closely set,
and like jessamine buds; her neck should be large and
round, resembling the berrigodia; her chest should be
capacious; her breasts firm and conical, like the yellow
'cocoa-nut; and her waist small, almost small enough to be
clasped by the hand ; her hips should be wide, her limbs
tapering, the soles of her Jeeti without any hollow, and the
surface ?®f'her body in general, soft, delicate, smooth, and
rounded, without the asperities of projecting bones and
sinews.’
•; “ The Candians,” as we are assured by Mr. Cordiner, “ do
nob differ from the*iCmgal§se more than the; inhabitants of
the mountains in any other country differ from those of the
sea-coastsi?$ ^ 4‘* The Candians are of a stouter make and
fairer complexion; but not taller.” Their manners are less
polished, and the1 constant wearing of their beards adds to
the natural ferocity of their appearancerf* :
The Malabars are a stouter and more active people than
the other inhabitants.^
The Vaddahs or Vaidahs are said by Mr. Cordiner still
to adhere' tbtheHHindu' religion, a remarkable fact, considering
the ancient date of Buddhism in the island of
Jbylon. They inhabit the mountainous' country about
Batacaloa on the eastern side o f. the island. Cordiner
assures-us that they speak the same language as;the Kan-
dians and Singhalese, though in a peculiar dialect. The
old voyager, Knox, giVesra similar' statement. He says,
;J#thevVaddahs%peak the1 Chingalaya language.' . It is said
that they are in different degrees1' of barbarism, but all are
hunters and live on the produce of. the chase, and on the
spontaneous fruits of the earth.” Dr. Davy has given the
best account of them. He has thus described a party of
Vaddahs whom he saw during his visit to Kandy.
.VThey belonged to a large party who had come to Kandy
with a tribute' of dried deer’s flesh and wild honey. They
were quite-naked; with the exception of a scarf of cloth.
The hair of their head and beard was long and matted, and
.* History of the Island of Ceylon, by John Davy, M.D., F.R.S., &c.
t Cordiner’s AcCöünt of Ceylon, page 181. t Id. page 137.
VOL. IV. Z