ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 55 



covered after careful inquiry, that uubaptized persons came 

 forward with false witnesses. In 1728 a commencement was 

 made to redress this matter, which has been so far improved 

 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 commis- 

 sion 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 mar- 

 ried first after their heathenish rites, and after begetting 

 children, used to have their banns published in the Church and 

 their marriage solemnized. Great is the number of suspicious 

 characters, who will not name their husbands, but cohabit 

 within the ties of consanguinity, and indeed with castes 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 by him, she, (or one of her 

 friends), calls them adopted children, in order that these, when 

 grown up, may marry her legitimate children. They have 

 purposely left children unbaptized, as we understand, with 

 the view of being able to betroth them to heathens, which has 

 been verified by the commission. There are also a great many 

 who have given their names with witnesses as baptized ; of 

 these a few have proved their baptism, the rest having alleged 

 falsehoods. Since this investigation, whereby the thombos 

 have been rectified, none are enrolled as baptized who merely 

 bring forward their witnesses to attest it, while we take care 

 that they who are baptized are also duly registered. The com- 

 missioners were two whole months in the country, taking 

 evidence daily from one school station to another ; so that their 

 report was a very copious document." 



