﻿OF THE PEOPLE OF CEVLON. 425 



makes'all the Tirounnaufies equal in rank. But this 

 law not liaving been sulficiently attended to, it has 

 been necessary to establish chiefs amonoj ,them, .to 

 inspect the temples in a certain district. These chiefs 

 are called Aaike Ounnanse. A little after, there were 

 two inspectors general made of all the temples in the 

 island, they are called Mahandike Ounnanse'. they 

 reside at Candy. At present there is bat one who 

 enjoys a great reputation for sanctity. 



MARRIAGES. 



The author of the Dutch manuscript I have al- 

 ready alluded to, says, that the law forbids brothers 

 to have one woman in common ; but he is deceived. 

 There is no such law : no notice of any such custom 

 is taken in the antient law, and there is no modern 

 one yet. This custom prevails very much in Candi/y 

 ^nd, to say the least, is tolerated. 



In all suits relating to marriage, this custom is 

 considered legal, and must have resulted from the 

 manner in A\hich the marriage ceremony is per- 

 formed in Ceylon. A whole family goes in a body 

 to ask a girl in marriage; the more numerous the 

 family, the greater title it has to the girl : It is the 

 Avhole family that marries, consequently the children 

 belong to the whole family, in the same way as the 

 lands, which are never divided. 



It is probable that his Excellency, the Governor, 

 will bring about a reform in this kind of marriages, 

 and place them on a more natural footing, by en- 

 couraging agriculture, and ordering a division of 

 lands, for the purpose of establishing, every wljere, 

 a sole proprietor —Marriages, in Ceylon, are con- 

 tracted by the right thumb of the man and woman 

 being put together, the priest throwing a little water 

 over their thumbs, and pronouncing the words laid 

 down by BouDiiou for the occasion. 



The 



