No. 61. — 1908.] SUMPTUARY LAWS OF THE KANDYANS. 127 



basket of rice to the mourning house and returns home. Thus 

 there is no need of kindling a fire in the house of mourn- 

 ing for a day or two. Some postpone bringing the rice until 

 the second day, and some even to the third. After this the 

 relatives at a distance begin to visit the mourning family 

 day after day with baskets of rice. It is an inviolable 

 custom to pay a visit to such a bereaved household, even if 

 there be slight enmity. In the case of serious disease also 

 the neighbours come and lend assistance in various ways. 

 They go in search of physicians, fetch drugs, and so forth. 

 Such assistance is not rendered only when there exists 

 downright hatred. 



When a low-caste man meets one of a high caste or 

 approaches his house, he should make a bow and salutation 

 in the manner already described. He who is saluted in this 

 way should acknowledge it simultaneously, with a very slight 

 salutation of the same kind. 



When a householder has collected a number of men from 

 the village for some work or other, he should treat them with 

 due respect. If it is field work, the plan of the work and the 

 method of executing it should be explained to the most 

 respectable one of the company. Then he, addressing the 

 others, will say : "Kinsmen, it is fitting for us to do this 

 gentleman's work to the best of our ability. Therefore 

 please do (such and such work)." Sometimes he uses such 

 expressions as this: "Do not leave anything undone, lest 

 there be aught to our shame after we have finished the work 

 and gone." In entertaining these people, by serving them with 

 rice and betel, none of the rules of etiquette that are observed 

 at a wedding feast should be violated. When they are about 

 to begin to work, no one should start it who is not fit to do 

 so. On such occasions the juniors must watch the procedure 

 of the elders, and follow them accordingly. It is a custom at 

 an assembly to follow the elders in every act done. If there 

 is an arrangement for a dance or anything of that sort to be 

 performed before an assembly, permission to begin must first 

 be obtained from the head person in the company. If the 

 teacher of the performer happens to be present, the pupil 

 should hand over his udekkiya (a small hand drum 



