CEYLON BRANCH—— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 5S 



are ornamented with white leaves, and cocoanuts as food for 

 the deceased, for which purpose also they bring a few days 

 after the burial rice and other victuals to the grave. They take 

 offerings to Kattergam, in the King's territories, or they give 

 them to the itinerant servants of dagobas. They honor a cer«? 

 tain tree of buddhu, with flowers, lamps, rice &c. The high- 

 est benediction they can pronounce is. May you become a bud- 

 dhu. They worship him at places where his image, made of 

 clay, is erected, or where they say his bones are buried. 3d. 

 The apathy of the Singhalese, and the indolence of the propo- 

 nents. 4th. The non observance of the salutary placards is- 

 sued by Government. 5th. The inefficiency and unfaithfulness 

 of school- masters and other servants: but on the other hand, 

 as they were not paid for teaching adults, reading sermons and 

 going about to the people, they were irregular herein, and their 

 poverty obliged them to seek some work out of school hours, 

 to get money. The recommendation for a fixed pay was fa- 

 vourably received by Government. 6th. The offensive lives of 

 many Europeans, and not to mention other instances, concu- 

 binage, not only among sailors and soldiers who may not marry, 

 but also among those who may, even persons of rank and stand- 

 ing, which could not but create resentment on the part of the 

 natives, who on being convicted of like offence must either pay 

 a penalty or go to hard labour. 



The Galle consistory complained that owing to the non-ex- 

 istence in Ceylon of an Ecclesiastical ccetus or presbytery in- 

 vested with power to excommunicate and entertain important 

 cases occurring in the respective Churches, they stood too much 

 sub regimine mundano, which impeded them in the full exercise 

 of Church discipline towards persons high in rank and office; 

 an instance of which relating to their designed Governor Von 

 Donberg they submitted to the classis in Holland with all the 

 papers relating thereto. They complained further of great apa~ 

 $hy in religion among Europeans, whose laxity also of conduct; 



