Chap. III.] THE NEW GOVERNMENT. 71 



pride the honoriiic title of Don^ accorded to them by a.d. 

 their first European conquerors, and still prefix to then' I'^G. 

 ancient patronymics the sonorous Christian names of the 

 Portuguese.^ 



On tlie surrender of Colombo, such of the civil in- 

 habitants of the place as had means to estabhsh them- 

 selves elsewhere took their departure from Ceylon ; 

 persons with capital transferred themselves to Batavia ; 

 the clergy, and the judicial officers, continued in their 

 position (the latter for a given time to decide pending 

 suits), whilst the bulk of those employed in the public 

 departments retained their occupations and emolu- 

 ments. Their uidustry and abihties secured to them a 

 continuance in the career to which they had attached 

 themselves. Under the British dominion they became 

 writers and practitioners in the Courts of Law ; and in 

 every pubhc office in the colony, at the present time, 

 the establishment of clei'ks is composed almost exclusively 

 of biu'ghers and gentlemen Avho trace then' ancestry to 

 Holland. 



Ceylon having thus become an English possession by 

 right of conquest, its future administration was a ques- 

 tion of embarrassment. Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville 

 were anxious to retain it under the direct control of 

 the crown ; but it had been formally ceded to the East 

 India Company after being captured by thek forces, 

 and the Court of Directors were naturally eager to 

 retain the government and patronage of so valuable an 

 acquisition. Besides it was still doubtful whether, in the 

 event of a general peace, the island miglit not be wholly 



^ Wolf, ill his autobiogTaphy, says | liim to "rise Don So and so!" By this 



the title of " Don " was soUl Ly tlic contrivance the Portupiiesc got an 



Portuguese for a " few hundred dol- enormous sum, as every one that 



lars," on the receipt of wliich, " the | coukl scrape tog-ether the amount 



Governor took a tliin silver i)late, on ' required, got himself ennobled. The 



which the name of the individual was .Dutch fifterwards made still somer 



written with the title of Z>o>/ prefixed, work of it, and sold the title of Don 



and bound it with his own hand on for iifty, twentv-five,and even so low 



the forc^head of the individual, he | as ten dollars." — Life and Adventures, 



kneeling at the same time ; and ordered «Jjc. , p. 255. 



r 4 



