64 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



customs, which they call the dowry system. 

 These letters show such an extraordinary 

 divergence from the western mode of thought 

 that I am tempted to quote (the italics are my 

 own). The whole gist of complaint is that 

 within the last fifty years the custom has come 

 in of the father being expected to portion his 

 daughter, instead of the bridegroom giving a 

 dowry to the father. To quote from the letter 

 in the " Standard " : — 



"It has now become the fashion among certain 

 " classes of the Sinhalese, to make the fitness of the 

 11 partner one chooses for life, entirely a question of 

 "money. A dowry Rsiooo (£70 at present rate of 

 " exchange) is what a person who is fairly well off is 

 "expected to give a daughter. A dowry of Rsioo 

 " (£7) is what a domestic servant or a day-labourer is 

 "expected to give. Generally amongst the lowest 

 "classes dowries range between Rsioo, and Rs2CO, 

 " and amongst the next higher classes it mounts up 

 "to a Rsiooo or Rs2oco or RS3000 and so on. 

 " Among the lower classes it is considered a point of 

 "etiquette to ask for dowry. Matters have reached 

 " such a point that now it is a great calamity to a 

 " man to be blessed with a few daughters. In the 

 " natural course of things people will be obliged to 

 " consider their daughters a curse to their families. 

 "Besides all this, landed property must eventually 

 "become the exclusive possession of the wealthy. 

 " The middle class is threatened with extinction. 

 " The dowry system is not quite fifty years old. The 

 "dowry system which prevailed in the East from 



