CiiAi>. II.] THE FISH-TAX. 129 



hearing hereof, resolved not to part them, and taking 

 hold of both their hands, said, ' God forbid two such 

 lovers, for my private interest, should be made unhappy. 

 I freely give you your hberties.' Then he ordered them 

 to be set ashore ; but they two, seeing his unexpected 

 bounty, requited it by despising their hberties, and re- 

 })hed, ' they only desired to be his, and die in his service.' 

 They hved afterwards in Colombo, where the man, on 

 sundry occasions, faithfully served the Portuguese." ^ 



The rest-house at Bentotte is one of the coolest and 

 most agreeable in Ceylon. It is situated within a little 

 park, deeply shaded by lofty tamarind-trees on the 

 point of the beach where the river forms its junction 

 with the sea. Its attractions were enhanced by a break- 

 fast for whicli we were indebted to the hospitable at- 

 tention of the civil officer, Mr. T. L. Gibson, whose table 

 was covered with all the luxuries of the province ; fruits 

 in great variety, ciniies, fish fresh from the sea, and 

 the dehcacy for which Bentotte has a local renown, 

 oysters taken off the rocks in the adjoining estuary^, 

 Avhich, though small and somewhat bitter, were welcome 

 from their cool associations. 



After leaving Bentotte, as the coast approaches Co- 

 lombo the numbers of the fishing-boats perceptibly in- 

 crease, and the kannve^, or fisher caste, form tlie most 

 numerous section of the village population. Like other 

 castes, they are divided into classes*, distinguished by 

 the implements they employ, and the department of the 



' Asia Porftfff. Steven's trans. 

 vol. iii. pt. i. cli. vi. p. 53. 



2 CosMAS Indico-pleustes, de- 

 scribing a place on the west coast of 

 Ceylon, which he calls Marallo, 

 says it produced Kox>^iovc, which 

 TnEVENOT translates " oysters ; " in 

 which case INIarallo might be 

 conjecturod to bo Bentotte. But 

 the shell in question was most 

 probably the chank (tKi-hlnclId rajxi), 

 and Mai-allo, Mantotte, oil' which it is 



VOL. II. K 



found in great numbers. Thevenot, 

 vol. i. p. 21. 



^ The parawos, a section of the 

 fisher caste, in the north and north- 

 west of the island, are of Tamil de- 

 scent, and came originally fi-om Tut- 

 tacorin. 



•» For an account of caste as it 

 manifests itself in Ceylon, its intro- 

 duction, and influence, see Yo\. I. 

 rt. IT. eh. i. p. 425. 



