CEYLON B&ANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, 51 



worship, notwithstanding the stringent placards, 'we find our« 

 selves in a dilemma. For were we to refuse those whom we 

 judge incompetent, the number of baptized persons would be- 

 come very small, the generality not concerning themselves much 

 about it, the evil consequences of which would become still 

 greater, while on the other hand our consciences will not allow 

 us to baptize indiscriminately. We are therefore in great per- 

 plexity and beg your advice and assistance. In order to shew 

 the melancholy state of things, we must xefer to a commission 

 lately executed by J. W. Marinus and two scholarchs, to re- 

 vise and adjust the thorn bos throughout the district, with the 

 view of preventing heathens by means of false witnesses to have 

 their names registered as already baptized. Since the year 1721 

 there have always been applicants for having their names in- 

 scribeid in the thombo3 as baptized, when they are about to get 

 married, and as there was no end of such suspicious applicants, 

 it was discovered after careful inquiry, that unbaptized persons 

 came forward with false witnesses. In 1728 a commencement 

 was made to redress this matter, which has been so far im- 

 proved that a confrontation took place at every school between 

 the villagers, and those who were recorded in the thombos, whereby 

 we found a certain number who pretended to have been bap- 

 tized. In order to. hear and examine such the above commission 

 was directed to go the round of all the schools. It was then 

 found on the confession of the natives themselves that incest and 

 much illegal intercourse existed. They marred first after their 

 heathenish rites, and after begetting children, used to have their 

 bans published in the Church and their marriage solemnized. 

 Great is the number of suspicious character, who will not name 

 their husbands, but cohabit within the ties of consanguinity, and 

 indeed with casts with whom they do not acknowledge 

 matrimonial connection. When a man dies his widow lives with 

 her late husband's brother, and when she has obtained children 

 \>y him she ? (or one her friends) calls them adopted children, ivi 



