amongst the Singhalese. 239 



Formerly Moormen composed the class of people who were 

 generally employed as Masters of trading vessels ; and they 

 received, in the sense of Tindal, the appellation of Marak- 

 kalahaye, a term now applied to others who perforin the same 

 office, and also to the Head Moorman. 



Whilst the above are the Ranks and Titles of address of 

 Maritime Native Singhalese, those of Kandians appear to be 

 different, with some exceptions, which are Korala, Mohottala, 

 Aratchila, Lekama, and Viclane ; and, says Mr. Justice Stark 

 in reference to them : 



"The above, namely, the Adigars, Dissaves, and Rattemahatmeyas, 

 were the principal officers under the Singhalese Government; and in the 

 convention of 1815, entered into after the conquest of Kandy by the 

 English, for the cessation of hostilities and the settlement of this country 

 by a formal declaration of the power and principles of the new Govern- 

 ment, they are mentioned or alluded to as the principal chiefs of the 

 Kandyan Provinces, and the Mohotale, Corales, Vidahns and others, the 

 subordinate headmen from the Provinces." — p. 72. 



To the above may be added Basnayaka and the Diva Nila- 

 mes (the word Nilamef ' Officer' alone being sometimes 

 used as a term of address to a titled person), which are 

 amongst the titles of Chiefs; and Atukorala, Aratchila, 

 Vidana, amongst those of petty headmen. I have already 

 alluded to Banda, and the original acceptation of the term. 

 I need only here refer to it, to shew that it is now assumed 

 by every Kandian of the Vellala caste, in the same manner 

 that the appellation of Appuliami is affixed to the name of 

 every Maritime vellala (and frequently of Fishers) without 

 distinction, and contrary to the original usage, by which only 

 a gentleman was entitled to it. 



I cannot close my remarks on this part of the subject, 

 without attracting attention to a mistake into which Mr. 

 Stark has fallen, in common with a number of European 

 writers, who consider the Maritime Natives to be distinct 



* This, when affixed to Malw, is used to signify an Adigar, or the 31 aha Modliar, 



