Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c9.8

c9.8

The blacksmiths had occasional dealings with the veddas, or wild men of the woods. *Smiths work* "The wilder sort of them, when they want Arrows, will carry their load of Flesh in for Veddas the night, and hang it up in a *Smith's* shop, also a Leaf cut in the form they will have their Arrows made, and hang by it. Which if the *Smith* do make according to their Pattern they will requite, and bring him more Flesh: but if he make them not, they will do him a mischief one time or another by shooting in the night. . . . They are so curious of their Arrows that no Smith can please them. The King once to gratifie them for a great Present they brought him, gave all of them of his best made Arrow-blades: which nevertheless would not please their humour. For they went all of them to a Rock by a River and ground them into another form" (Knox, pp. 62, 63).