70 



MODERX HISTORY. 



[Part VI, 



A.I), almost forgotten tlirougliout the island, with the excep- 

 1796. i[qi^ of an exphing community at Colombo. Ah'eady 

 the language of the Dutch, which they sought to extend 

 by penal enactments \ has ceased to be spoken even by 

 their dii^ect descendants, whilst a corrupted Portuguese is 

 to the present day the vernacular of the middle classes in 

 eveiy town of importance.^ As the practical and sordid 

 government of the Netherlands only recognised the in- 

 terests of the native popidation in so far as they were 

 essential to uphold theii^ trading monopolies, their me- 

 mory was recalled by no agreeable associations ; whilst 

 the Portuguese, who, in spite of their cruelties, were 

 identified mth the people by the bond of a common 

 faith ^, excited a feeling of admiration by the boldness 

 of thek conllicts with the Kandyans, and the cliivalrous 

 though ineflectual defence of thek beleaguered for- 

 tresses. The Dutch and then- proceedings have almost 

 ceased to be remembered by the lowland Singlialese ; 

 but the chiefs of the south and west perpetuate with 



' In order tliat the children of the 

 Singhalese mig-ht be taught Dutch 

 by their attendants, the heads of all 

 slaves who could not speak it were 

 ordered to be shaved, and a fine for 

 neglect was imposed upon their mas- 

 ters. Thus, as avowed in the procla- 

 mation, it was hoped "to destroy the 

 language of the Portuguese, in order 

 that the najue of our enemies may 

 perish, and o.ur own flourish in its 

 stead." — Yalexttx, ch. xvii. p. 414. 



^ Even amongst the English, the 

 number of Portuguese tenns in daily 

 use is remarkable. The gi-ounds 

 attached to a house are its " com- 

 pound," cunipiiilw ; a wardrobe is 

 called an " almirah," almarinho ; a 

 tradesman is shown a " muster," 

 mostra, or pattern ; the official regis- 

 ter of lands is the tomho ; and ele- 

 ])hants are captured in a " coiTal," 

 or curral, "an enclosed field." 



3 The difterent effects of the Dutch 

 and Portuguese policA' in nuitters of 

 religion is veiy forcibly put in an 



able miimte by Colonel de Meuron, 

 a Swiss who commanded a regiment 

 of mercenaries in the pay of Holland, 

 and who, on the expidsion of the 

 Dutch, entered the senice of the Bii- 

 tish East India Company : " When the 

 Portuguese established themselves in 

 Ceylon," he says, "commerce was not 

 theii' only object ;*they wished to con- 

 vert the natives to Christianity. Per- 

 sons of the highest rank became spon- 

 sors when Singhalese families were to 

 be baptized, and gave their names to 

 the convei*ts. This is the origin of the 

 numerous Portuguese names amongst 

 the Singhalese. The Dutch occupied 

 themselves less with conversion, but 

 employed the more speedy means of 

 making nominal Christians by giving 

 certain offices to men of that religion 

 only. But the insti'uction given to 

 these official converts was too super- 

 ficial to root out their prejudices in 

 favour of the idolatrv of their ances- 

 tors."— 7fW/f*% JZ-S'.S'., Brit. Mus., 

 No. 13,864, p. 96. 



