﻿GF THE PEOPLE OF CEYLON. 431 



and established themselves in the same place. One 

 would be iackiced to suppose that such a cast must 

 have had its origin in very remote times. — But we 

 find no mention of it in the ancient books. — This 

 little society having increased in power and in num- 

 bers, the general term o{' goi-game was dropped, and 

 ever\' one took that of go'i-vaji.sc, meaning the lord 

 labourer. — The Goi-vnihses or J^cllales i'oY;\\ the first 

 cast in Candy. They alone can hold the high ofHces 

 of the state. Two casts dispute the second rank, 

 namely, the lishermen, and the ChaUias. — The fish- 

 ermen or Karave cannot be of much importance in 

 Candy, as the CV/;?^//«7/.v at present can only i.sh in the 

 rivers of that kingdom. 



The origin of the Sale* or ClialUas is accounted 

 for in the following manner : \ certain number of 

 Passekarca Bralunin Vahansa went to live together 

 in a laro-e house on the continent, to carrv on a ma- 

 facture of stuffs. This house M^as called Sale, and 

 increased to such a size as at last to become a village, 

 which gave rise to the name Salt-game, that was af- 

 terwards given to its inhabitants. — A great number 

 of them were invited over to the Island by three dif- 

 ferent Kings, ViGE Rag I A, Dp:venipatisse, and 

 Watimi. Though at first much esteemed, they had 

 ^ not an opportunity of constantly exercising their ta- 

 lents ; the consequence was, these decreased from not 

 being sufficiently employed, their influence tell, and 

 they becaujc labourers, goi. — In the reign of Wati- 

 mi, they found an opportunity of distinguishing 

 themselves in another way. The Portuguese had 

 just arrived in the Island, and wanted men to peel 



the 



* Is not thi5 the name '^aX^v.r^ which Ptolemy gives to the Island of 

 Ceylon, as he does that of SaAai to the inhabitants ? This caft of 

 cinnamon peelers is settled in the fouthern districts of the Jshind, and 

 forms the principal p.-irt of the population in the neighbourhood of 

 Point de Galle, 



