﻿OF THE PEOPLE OF CEYLON. 427 



the cloth and retire into a room, where there is a 

 "wliite bed strewtd with tlowers, precious stones, &c. 

 The magician holds the water clock in liis hand, and 

 knocks at the door when the hicky hour arri\es, 

 Tiie coujde re-appear, and the rejoicings, in dancing, 

 sinL'ing and teasting, commence, which hist twenty- 

 four iio'.irs, alter which the married pair are con- 

 duf'-ted in tiiumph to the house of tlie husband. 

 These aie the customs obsr*rved in Candia when 

 only one man is married. But when there are several 

 brothers n-arried to the same woman, the only part 

 of tlie ceremony rigorously adhered to is, the join- 

 ing the thiiiiib of one of the men to that of the 

 woman. Tlie other part of it may be dispensed 

 with. 



Prostitution, as aprofession, is permitted : it is 

 even respected, and is called Vaissia Dcn^mi. Danni 

 means trade, state, employment. It is, however, 

 liable to some very inconvenieiit restrictions. If a 

 man appear before a woman of the above descrip- 

 tion, and declare he will marry her, giving her at 

 the same time a ring, a tlower, or some other thing, 

 as a token of his sincerity, she must remain faithful 

 to him, though he should abandon her for years, and 

 leax e her without the means of subsistence. Sakreia 

 one da} transformed ifnnself into an old man, and 

 going to a raissia, to try her, made her the neces- 

 sary declaration, gave her a flow er, and disappeared. 

 At the end of twelve years, the poor woman, who 

 with the greatest dilficulty had supported herself, 

 prayed to heaven in a strain of grief, that he who 

 had given her the tlower she then held in her hands 

 might return. At that instant Sakreia appeared 

 in all his glory, congratulated her on her hdelity, 

 and blessed her with affluence. 



DIVORCE. 



Divorce can take place without any form or pro- 

 cess, 



