Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/268

260 NOTES AND QUERIES.

Building Superstitions.—A Human Sacrifice necessary to the Stability of an important Building.—See Folk-Lore Record, vol. iii. pp. 282-3; do. vol. iv. pp. 124, 186; Folk-Lore Journal, vol. i. pp. 23-4, 92. The following extracts from the Ceylon Observer of 27th January, 1887, show that there has recently been a scare of this kind at Colombo, where new waterworks are being constructed. One correspondent says:—

"Have you heard the reports and rumours about the human sacrifices? It is reported all over Colombo for the last ten days that human sacrifices are being offered up—some say for the completion of the Maligakanda Reservoir (by Europeans). The rumour has spread to such an extent that many of the schools in Colombo are almost empty the parents refusing to allow their children to go out, as the sacrifices are all boys under twelve years, and a good many children are reported missing. The next rumour to-day is that a Buddhist priest has heard of an enormous treasure, and that he is secretly sacrificing 350 boys under twelve years of age before he can get at it. It is a fact that in one school in Colombo to-day there appeared only a seventh part of the scholars, and during the day some of these are taken away by their parents. The children are said to have a white powder as fine as snuff thrown in their faces, or that they are made to smell it, and are consequently made insensible and carried off. Unless something be done and the rumours put down, the schools of Colombo may soon get emptied, as the story is believed even by many very intelligent people who ought to know better, and by almost every native I have spoken to."

Another:—

"The kidnapping scare is on the increase, and everybody believes it. All sorts of wild rumours are afloat. The Chettys lock