CEYLON. 



Ceylon, much in a state of nature, we may conclude that the 

 ^*-y / inhabitants are not very numerous. Mr Cordiner 

 estimates them at 1,500,090; but this calculation 

 rests on no certain data. Besides the Dutch and 

 British inhabitants, there is a numerous race, known 

 by the name of Portuguese, who are the spurious de- 

 scendants of that people by native women. We also 

 find a vast number of Malays, who, indeed, are scat- 

 tered over most of the islands in the Indian Ocean, 

 and are a remarkably ferocious race, and very pe- 

 culiar in their manners. These various classes have 

 settled on the coasts of Ceylon, for the purposes of 

 conquest or of commerce ; but by far the greater 

 proportion of the inhabitants consist of Ceylonese, 

 which is the general name of the natives of the 

 island. To distinguish them more particularly, those 

 under the dominion of the British government re- 

 tain the original appellation, Cingalese ; while the 

 inhabitants of the interior, who are subject to the 

 authority of the native prince, receive the name of 

 Candians. The constant intercourse of the Cinga- 

 lese with Europeans, and the aversion which the 

 Candians have always expressed for their invaders, 

 have introduced considerable shades of difference into 

 the character and manners of these two branches of 

 the same people. In most parts, however, they 

 still continue to resemble each other, so that one 

 description may, in general, apply to both. 

 General ^^e fM w i n g character is drawn of them by Mr 



character* Knox, who was a Captain among them for nearly 

 twenty years : " In short," says he, " in carriage and 

 behaviour, they are very grave and stately ; in un- 

 derstanding, quick and apprehensive ; in danger, sub- 

 tile and crafty ; in discourse, courteous but full of 

 flatteries ; naturally inclined to temperance, both in 

 meat and drink, but not to chastity ; near and pro- 

 vident in their families ; commending good husband- 

 ry. In their dispositions not passionate, neither hard 

 to be reconciled again when angry. In their pro- 

 mises very unfaithful, approving lying in themselves, 

 but misliking it in others ; delighting in sloth, de- 

 ferring labour till urgent necessity constrains them ; 

 neat in apparel, nice in eating, and not given to 

 much sleep." The Ceylonese, in general, are of a 

 middling stature, and fairer in complexion than the 

 natives of India. According to Mr Cordiner, the 

 Cingalese are indolent, harmless, and unwarhke, re- 

 markable for equanimity, mildness, bashfulness, and 

 timidity : the Candians are a bold, active, and hardy 

 race. This diversity of character naturally arises 

 from the difference of circumstances in which they 

 have been placed. 



Casts. The Ceylonese, like the Hindoos, are divided into 



a number of casts. Captain Percival mentions only 

 four; but Mr Cordiner enumerates nineteen, accord- 

 ing to the several occupations of the people. The 

 highest comprises the nobles, and next to them are 

 the superior classes of artificers, as painters, gold- 

 smiths, smiths, and carpenters. All the different 

 casts, according to the Indian custom, are careful 

 not to intermingle together. The son pursues the 

 profession of his father from generation to generation, 

 nor is one cast allowed to interfere with, another. 

 The principal external distinctions of the higher and 

 lower casts consist in wearing doublets, ur going 

 barebacked without them ; the length of the cloth 

 their knees j their sitting on stools, or on 



mats spread upon the ground, and in the caps Ceylpn. 

 which they wear But besides the regular casts, > Y-^' 

 there is a wretched class of mortals, the martyrs from 

 age to age of this unnatural and barbarons institu- 

 tion. Those who by any crime or act of negligence 

 forfeit their cast, are not only condemned to infamy 

 themselves, but their descendants are involved in the 

 awful consequences of their guilt. They are not 

 allowed to exercise any trade or profession, but are 

 obliged to beg for daily sustenance ; and thus, age 

 after age, become a dead weight upon society. At 

 the same time, they have to pay the lowest of the 

 other natives as much respect and reverence as the 

 latter shew to the king. 



The houses of the Ceylonese are small and low, Houses, 

 consisting only of one story. They are constructed 

 of slender pieces of wood or bamboo, daubed over 

 with clay, and covered with rice straw, or the leaves 

 of the cocoa tree. Round the walls of these huts 

 are small banks of clay, on which they sit or sleep. 

 These benches, as well as the floors of their houses, 

 they overlay with cow-dung, in order to preserve 

 them from vermin, and to keep them smooth and 

 clean. The furniture of their cottages is of the 

 most simple kind, and consists merely of a few in- 

 struments, indispensably necessary for the prepara- 

 tion of their victuals. The Ceylonese use neither 

 tables, chairs, nor spoons ; but, like other Indians, 

 place themselves on the ground, and eat their food 

 with their hands. The houses of the Candians are 

 much superior to those of the Cingalese ; for al- 

 though the latter are accustomed to see better mo- 

 dels, yet the abject state to which they have been 

 reduced under the tyranny of the Portuguese and 

 Dutch, has retarded their progress in improvement. 

 Their villages, instead of presenting the regular com- 

 pact appearance of a town, look like a number of 

 miserable huts scattered through the midst of a thick 

 forest. There is not the smallest regularity observ- 

 able among them ; but every individual places his 

 cottage near the centre of a cocoa tree tope, in the 

 most convenient spot he can find. In the mountain- 

 ous parts of the country, where the natives live in 

 continual danger of attack from wild beasts, of being 

 annoyed by serpents, or suddenly overtaken by in- 

 undations, it is usual for them to build their huts on 

 the summit of rocks, or even on the top of lofty 

 trees. Some of them also fix a number of high 

 posts in the ground, and place on these a kind of 

 hurdle, which eerves them for a nocturnal habita- 

 tion. 



In their dress, the Ceylonese are remarkably sim- Dress, 

 pie. That of the lower ranks of men consists mere- 

 ly of a piece of coarse cloth wrapped round their 

 loins, and covering their thighs, or frequently only 

 the parts which decency requires to be concealed ; 

 that of the women is similar, but only longer, and 

 they also wear a short jacket, which usually covers 

 their breasts and shoulders, leaving the middle of 

 the back bare. The higher ranks cover the whole 

 of their bodies ; they are fond of ornaments, and 

 the dress of many of tiiem bears some general re- 

 semblance to that of Europeans. 



In their- diet the Ceylonese are remarkably tempe- Diet, 

 rate. The principal part of their food consists of 

 fruits and rice. Flesh is seldom ubed by them ; but 

 in some places where fish abounds, they employ 



