I don't know but if he be asked will it be as distant from A as B. is from the witness box?'-he will most assuredly reply in the affirmative. Matura is the parent country (of Ceylon) for superstitions.— Horn-pulling, Breaking-of-Cocoanuts, Devil-dance ceremonies and various others often take place. In point of learning the intelligent portion of the community at Matura greatly surpasses that at Colombo. Hence the Singhalese adage-"happy is the man that is born at Caltura* and is educated at Matura." There is a fisherman at Matura who is remarkably tall and proportionably large--whose height is about 7 feet. He is celled yodeya (giant) by the inhabitants of Matura. I saw this man, and I confess I was quite surprised at his prodigious height. The following are some of the answers to the questions I put to him. "I am a fisherman and am obliged to go a fishing for my maintenance-I seldom or never take any other person with me--I can very easily land my boat as well as take it to sea without assistance-I once boxed a man, by which he very much suffered—I have never been mischievous, I earn my daily bread by my own persevering industry." The amusement of the natives consist of religious processions and devil-dance ceremonies; but though dancing girls (in fact males in disguise called Thaooditchis) abound, yet Theatrical exhibitions are uncommon. The only Theatrical exhibition is what the natives call Kulan. The play is every-where and always the same. Every actor has his head covered with an artificial face, made of wood and beautifully painted. A tragic pantomime is of ten introduced in the middle of the play. This play is often acted in Colombo-generally about the Christmas holy-days. 4. The professed religion is Buddhism; but the devils + are worshipped by all except the intelligent native Buddhists. Devildance 18 very common at Dondra Head, as well as in Matura. There is hardly a single day in which the boistrous c'amours of the tom-toms are not sounded in the hamlets around the town of Matura. Kapoora, Yakendoora and Neketia are daily employ ed in this district. Devil-worship is strictly forbidden in the Buddhistical Religion: but the superstitions natives often resort to a devil-dance ceremony when a person is so dangerously ill, as to lead his friends to believe that it is in vain to expect any medical assistance. There are very few Christians indeed-nay, from Caltura is considered to be a very healthy place. In the native mind three meanings are associated at the remembrance of the word "God"-I. A derio (Gap) is a person, who is borne on of the 26 Heavens. 2. A devetava, is a Divine Being (in dignity inferior to a devio but superior to a devil.) 3. A yakseya or rakseya or yaka is what is underatood by a devil, or "the evil oue" or "Satau;" who, it is said by the matives, feeds on human flesh. what I heard and saw a year ago, there were not twenty natives, who knew of a Saviour, still less who conscientiously believed in the "true and only God." Strenuous as has been the Missionary endeavours for the conversion of the heathen, very little has hi therto been done in Matura or Dondra. The reason is this: "Because the people are too wise in their own conceit." 5. Cattle in the district of Matura are numerous, and are of ten used to convey coffee, deer-horns,, pepper, and various other articles from the country. They are more frequently used to the plough, and those of Matura are the cheapest in Ceylon. The dogs are of the cur kind, known by the appellation of paria dogs. The other animals are wild boars, jackals, chetabs, weasels, and many others of an inferior size. Wild peacocks are found in plenty. Among the birds may be mentioned "the far-famed bird of Pa radise," "the jet-black cuckoo," "the splendid azure-coloured king fisher, "the glossy magpie, "the owl," the partot," and "the common crow"-together with several others too numerous to mention. The nests of the paddy-birds are singularly beautiful; and are often found hanging on the twigs of mare trees near fields. At the time of harvest, these "leafy homes" are found in abundance. I observed a few at Dondra Head, and while I viewed them I could not but exclaim in the words of the Poet, " It wins my admiration 66 Land tortoises, and sea turtles abound; and are eaten by the natives. Crabs, lobsters, and oysters plenty. There are beautiful butterffies and insects of various kinds. A peculiar kind of gold coloured insect is found in abundance at Dondra Head, particularly amidst the brilliantly green foliage of Kosette trees. A minute description of the serpents found in the Matura district will not be uninteresting, The Pimboorah, which is the largest of the serpents, is as thick as a man's thigh, and of a proportionable length. It has a terrible aspect. The forehead is covered with grey and ash-coloured Those of the Ratgam Oya, a few miles from Galle, are the best in reland. scales. The scales on the upper part of the body are somewhat reddish, and are shaded with spots of dark brown. The tail is slender. Underneath, towards the belly, are large spots of an ash colour, and disposed in a beautiful order. The Tic-Polonga is a beautiful, but mischievous serpent. Its head is adorned with spots which resemble a wild flower of Ceylon called Baville. The whole body is of a liver colour, and diversified with beautiful spots. Its tail diminishes gradually to a point. The Polonga is of the same kind as Tic-Polonga, but less beautiful. The Cobra de Capella of the Portuguese (the hooded-snake) is said to be very innocent, and is admitted into the houses of the natives. They seldom or never kill it, unless some person is bitten. The upper part of the body is generally of a dark red, and some white streaks run across it. Its belly is of a pale red. The forehead is marked with two spots in the shape of a pair of spectacles. It lives upon insects and frogs. Kanekatoon is a poisonous serpent; of about a foot in length. It is of a dark brown. Korewalla is a beautiful serpent, about the thickness of a man's thumb and about two and half feet in length. It is less poisonous than any above mentioned. Its colour is brown; but the body is diversified with spots inclining to a light red. Garendia is an innocent and harmless creature. It is as thick as a man's wrist; and proportionably long. The upper part of its body is of a dark brown and the belly yellow. It is often met with in the houses and gardens of the natives; who neither drive it off, nor kill it-because they are fond of meeting it whenever they go a journey, or go out of their houses. To meet one of these, is a good omen to the superstitious natives. It is frequently found in the roofs of native cottages and granaries in quest of prey, which generally consists of rats and mice. Altho' the bite of some of these serpents mentioned above, is followed with serious consequences, yet it is very seldom that people are bitten. It is generally believed that the decoctions of the native medical men are better antidotes against poison than those of the English Doctors. 6. The country is healthy and abounds in various sorts of fruits and trees. The most complete assemblage of beautiful objects (in point of scenery) which can any where be found presents itself at Matura. Fields in verdure--trees scattered here and there-flowers both gaudy and fragrant-streams beautiful and small;-contribute greatly to enrich the landscape. The soil in itself may be said to be barren; but prolific showers conspire with labour to overcome this obstacle. Except the hilly parts, the ground is universally cultivated. Rice is the chief grain. The sweet potato is abundant; with various sorts of yams, beans, and dry grain. Coffee grows luxuriantly under shade. The soil is the best adapted for the Sugar-cane and Nutmeg. The pepper-vine grows nearly in a state of wildness. The soil is in some parts so excellent as to consist of black vegetable mould to the depth of two or three feet. 7. In a commercial point of view the district of Matura is very favourable. Arrack is distilled all the way along the toad from Pantura to Dondra Head-Coir rope, yarn and junk are manufac tured both at Galle and Matura. Deer-horns are generally collected in small quantities by the moors; who often exchange them for cloth, tobacco, &c. Matura jaggery is the best-that of Kandy ex cepted. Plumbago and Sapan wood are also to be met with -Coral stones are abundant; and are now becoming saleable. These stones are burnt into lime. "Of this species of lime the late fort of Negapatam was built; and so great is the hardness which it ac quires by long exposure to the weather, that when Major De Haviland, some years ago, requested a specimen of the masonry of the fort to be procured and sent up to him, the iron crows aud other instruments used in detaching the blocks, were blunted and bent in all directions by the solidity of the chunam, which is far more adhesive than that obtained from shells. A stone capable of being converted into so valuable a cement, would almost pay the expense of its excavation."* The following is a statement of the quantity of stones purchased by Government during the last two years; and contracted for in the present year:— For 1839. Bushels 100,000 @ 24d. P Bushel... £1041 13s. 4d. 1840. Do. 25,000 @ 2d. Bushel... 247 7s. 11d. 273 8s. 11d. 155,000+ £1562 10, 2. Boxes and baskets made of Porcupine quills may be had at Matura. They are very handsomely made; and those made of a superior quality are often sold for three or four pounds each. This corious workmanship was first planned by Mrs. Barnett-the lady of the late Government Agent for the Southern Province. 8. The climate of Matura is various. Excessive rains and exeessive heats form the chiet varieties of the year. The country is generally healthy. The hot or dry season begins about March and continues till May or June; the rainy season continues from June to September or October; and the cold from November to January. All the coast of Galle and Matura, participates of the south-west monsoons that blows upon the Malabar coast.---The south-west that blows from April till September, and is favourable to vessels going from Cape Comorin to Manaar, or the Coast of Ceylon near it---renders it impracticable to proceed thence to Dondra Head. The north-east that prevails from October to Fe ...R. M. Martin's British Colonial Library.-p 31.-Ceylon. + All these stones have been and are being brought from the Mature district, by means of Dhonies. bruary would facilitate the passage of vessels from Manaar and Dondra Head'; but there they must wait again for the south-west before they can proceed to Trincomalie, Point Pedro, and the Co fomandel Coast. THE ORGANS OF THE BRAIN, A COMEDY IN THREE ACTS, TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF AUGUST VON KOTZEBUE, [Continued from page 340.] ACT 3D-SCENE 1ST. MR. VON RÜCKENMARK (ALONE.) When will blinded mortals learn to know and prize their be nefactors! When Colombus conjectured the existence of a new world, he was cried down for a fool in the old. The first astro nomer who discovered the revolution of the earth was punished for heresy. The philosopher who pointed out a path for the lightning was called a transgressor against Providence. The physician who first vaccinated was accused of connecting men with cattle. Every one points after something new, and when it comes to pass he pours abuse upon it.-Is it not a crying injustice to make me pay 50 dollars because I said a thorough-faced" scoundrel was a scoundrel ? The whole police cannot produce a single member of its body who is able to examine a skull properly.-The whole police therefore is good for nothing. I'll lay any wager that in the course of 100 years every government officer will be obliged to study craniology thoroughly; and the police probably will then consist of nothing but women, because their fingers are endowed with a tiner touch-Then shall I also, though late, meet with justice; every body will read in the journals, Disgrace to human nature! one hundred years ago Mr. Von Rückenmark, so celebrated for his collection of skulls, was fined 50 dollars because he would not take a thief for his valet de chambre. SCENE 2ND. THE PRECEEDING AND PETER GOODSHEep. Pet.-(Somewhat drunk) I am to tell your honor that the bu siness is correctly settled. |