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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1904.
There is reason to believe that the Singhalese are a highly mixed race, and it may be stated as a working hypothesis that the several castes, except the predominating Gori or Grahapati caste, formed tribes of a pre-historic settlement in Ceylon, intermarrying with an earlier people the autochthonic Veddahs; that they were displaced by the Govi race, the Singhalese proper, who, while imposing on them the Aryan language and Buddhism, adopted and developed the existing animistic ideas and the rude social organization. Of conrse, their blood freely intermingled, though not by regular marriages, and, at a later date, the frequert intercourse with the South Indian kingdoms led to the incorporation of Dravidian captives and emigrants with the thinly populated castes and to a further development in their beliefs and practices.
CORRESPONDENCE. NAVAGRAHA.
Sun rides on a horse, Mercury on an or, Mars SIR, In connexion with Mr. Burgers' Article on a peacock, Rabu on an ass, Saturn on a crow, on the Navagraba, arte, p. 61 ff., I wish to invite
Venus on buffalo, Kétu on a swan, Jupiter on attention to the Singhalese representations of a lion, and the Moon on an elephant. the heavenly bodies and their presiding divinities
ARTHUR A. PERERA. in Upham's History and Doctrine of Buddhism, Flower Road, Colombo, published with coloured plates in 1828. The 17th May 1904.
NOTES AND QUERIES. HOBSON-JOBSON
was encased in a wooden skeleton of a horse with IGNORANOR in English writers of common a movable head, which was held under control by Indian things takes a lot of killing: witness the reins. latest literary contribution to Hobson-Jobson. No little consternation was caused among the It is from the Daily Mail of Saturday, April 2, crowd assembled to witness the celebration when 1904, and contains about the usual number of this strange creature charged into them. Follow complete errors made whenever that annual feast ing the horse were several gaudily dressed is discussed in the Press.
Hindoos, bearing aloft strange devices. Behind Hobbon-Jobson, Hindoo Religious
these came several tom-tom players, and musi
cians discoursing on whistles, accordions, and Festival.
corneta. Following these were dancers, persons During the past few days the Hindoo workers who appeared to be engaged in a souffling match. on the various vessels in the London docks Some were padded abnormally; whilst others have been celebrating their annual religious were made up to represent bears and dogs. testival. commonly known in Western countries. Then came the "well-conducted" Hindoos, us Hobson-Jobson.
walking in a steady manner, reciting various The last four days of March are always set prayers and exhortations. Even these had gone apart (!) by the Hindoos (!) for the observance of to the trouble to decorate themselves for the one of their principal religious rites. This year, occasion with ear and nobe ringe. Last of all however, there were not many vessels in the came the temple, which was carried on the Royal Albert and Victoria Docks (London), and shoulders of four stalwart Hindoon. It resembled consequently the celebration was shorn of some a large doll's house, and was decorated with of its pomp and ceremony.
gaudy ribbons. To the uninitiated the outward "show" appears This procession has marched several times • ridiculous faroe, bat apparently the Hindoo round both the Albert and Victoria Docks, s regards it is most solemn festival. It would distanoe of several miles, and at the close of the be almost impossible to describe the dresses and festival the temple was burned, the Hindoor adornments of the principal characters taking present making a great display as the last vestiges part in the ceremony.
of the construction were destroyed. Tho procession was preceded by a crude repre
R.O. TEMPLE. sentation of a horse. To make up this . Hindoo #th April 1904.
