81 Memoir of the Survey of Travancore. [January 



ted burial. This feeling leads them to make charnel houses of their 

 churches, almost all of which exhale a sepulchral odour, nor is the 

 practice likely to be abolished as it is found profitable. The cost of 

 interment is graduated by the distance from the altar, and the soli- 

 citude evinced to be laid near this sanctuary, would indicate that 

 they thought it their best chance for salvation. 



The exterior distinctions, amongst the Syrians, are subject to much 

 variety, but carry with them few traces of the mixture of 

 a foreign origin. They are generally of a better stature, and 

 a more coarse and robust form than the Nairs, nor do we 

 scarcely ever among the women, observe the delicate fea- 

 tures and flexible figure common to them ; some few of 

 the more opulent however, are extremely fair, have a fine md 

 more than ordinary marked expression of countenance. Cleanliness 

 does not hold a place amongst their virtues, the dress of the men 

 has nothing peculiar in it, they generally go bare headed, their 

 black luxuriant but greasy locks floating to the wind, or tied in a 

 knot behind. The female costume is more decorous than that of 

 the Nairs, altho' they display no reluctance to copy their nudity. 

 It consists of a cloth (white is the invariable colour) wound round 

 the middle, fixed in several folds at the hip, and reaching to the 

 knees forms a petticoat ; the person is concealed by a jacket on 

 which some finery is occasionally lavished by embroidering the 

 seams ; it falls loosely below the waist, the sleeves covering the arm 

 to the wrist. They often however dispense with this garment for a 

 less cumbersome vesture ; necklaces of Venetians, a cross, and siU 

 ver rings round the ancle compose the ornaments of the more 

 wealthy. 



It will not be desired further to pursue the detail of their man- 

 ners, which bear in much of their minutiee a resemblance to those 

 of the Nairs, to whom (more especially the Syrians) in the aggregate 

 of personal qualities they are not perhaps inferior ; ameliorating the. 

 condition of the christian population generally is an object of en- 

 lightened benevolence, and it might be expected equally from our 

 sympathy, generosity and interest. They of course have shared 

 in the equal justice which a better government has dispensed during 

 later times to the other classes, and since a judicious policy has within 

 the past few years, peculiarly distinguished them, they have been in- 

 troduced to office. This innovation has contributed greatly to soften 

 the prejudices of the higher orders, may be attended with still more 

 important results, and as uniting their interests, must fix their at- 

 tachment to a domination that has raised them from the oppression 



