158 



JOURNAL E, A, S. (CEYLOIST.) 



[Vol. Ill, 



escape tax. entered in the names of headmen, who after the 

 lapse of some years claim, and frequently take possession of the 

 lands themselves. At the same time, I see no objection to 

 employing unpaid headmen, so long as the offices are eagerly 

 sought by the people. The Sinhalese love of honor and dis- 

 tinction, though carried to somewhat unreasonable lengths, is in 

 itself laudable, and gives a point aVappui to those who wish to. 

 elevate the people. In our own country, many offices uncon- 

 nected with salary are eagerly contended for, and I see no reason 

 why the same system should not be followed here. That unpaid 

 headmen would take bribes is not more true than that the paid 

 headmen now do so. 



The headmen are, on the whole, inferior in activity and intel- 

 ligence to those of adjoining districts. This may be attributed 

 to the fact, that the people were, until lately, almost debarred 

 from intercourse with others ; that the district was formed of 

 fragments taken from others, and which are only beginning to 

 amalgamate into one homogeneous whole ; that the resident 

 civilians have been frequently changed ; that the establish- 

 ment is necessarily broken up annually ; and that formerly the 

 Wanniya caste had a sort of monopoly of the headmenships ; 

 and even now, many of these people, while they think that they 

 have a right to be made Koralas and Ratemahatmeyas as oppor- 

 tunities occur, yet totally neglect their own education, on the 

 plea that they can pay others to read and write for them. I 

 think that a bad effect has been produced by the unceremonious 

 way in which headmen are appointed and dismissed ; and believe, 

 that Government in giving up all sorts of state and ceremony, 

 is gratuitously throwing away a powerful means of influencing 

 the people. 



Whether headmen ought, or ought not, to have more power 

 than at present; is a matter for serious enquiry, but need not be 

 entered upon here. 



Revenue. 



With some trifling exceptions, the sole source of revenue is 

 the tax on grain. 



