792 
A Defcripion of G E Y L O N. 
jialdaus. 
CHAP. XLIV. 
J Defcriftion of Manaar. How the Chrifiian Religion was fUnted^ and might 
he further promoted there. A Defcripion of the Country of the Wannias. 
Our March towards Jafnapatnam. We pafs- the River , rout the PortuguefeSj 
and take the Water- Fort. 
Manaar 
ni:eiKc it 
got: its 
The Cinga- 
lefe and 
Malabar 
Tonnes 
both ufed 
in Ceylon. 
Situation 
of Manaar. 
Its Cbi'f- 
chey. 
Fettrl fi(J) 
I'q at Ma 
naar. 
MAnaar derives its Name from the 
Malabar Language, from the word 
Aian^ i. e. Sand^ and Aar a Hiver^ fig- 
nifying as much as a Sand-River \ ic being 
obfervable, that both the Cingaiefe and 
Malabar Languages are fpoken in the 
Ifle of Ceylon. The firfl is ufed beyond 
Negumbo., viz, at Columbo., Cakture^ Ber- 
heryn^ Alican^y Galc^ Bdligamme^ Mature, 
Dondcrc, &c. But in all the other parts 
of this Ifleoppoliue to the Coaliof Coro- 
mayidcl^ and all along the Bay, they fpeak 
the Malabar Tongue whence it feems ve- 
ry probable, that that Trad of Land ( as 
the Inhabitants of Jafnapatnam them- 
felves believe) was firft of all peopled 
by thofe of Corornandd., who brought 
their Language along with them ^ it be- 
ing certain that in the Inland Countries 
about Candy., rintane, Ballaney.^ 6cc. they 
fpeak only Cingalefe. 
The Ifle of Manaar is fituate at 9 deg. 
of Northern Latitude, its length being a- 
bout two and a half German Leagues, 
and one broad, including the Salt-water 
River (asyouwiil fee in the Map) which 
reaches as far as the great Church call'd 
Carcel. The Caftle is feated upon a 
Canal able to bear fmall Yachts, which 
draw ,3, 4, or 5 foot Water, and can go 
from thence 10 Jafnapatnam. This Caftle 
was ftrengthened with fome additional 
Fortifications, and furrounded with a 
deep Ditch, after we had taken it from 
the Portngucjts, The whole Ifle has no 
more than feven Churches, unto each 
whereof beiong divers confiderable Villa- 
ges : The fivil is the City Church, next 
that call'd Tottavaly, then Carcel, Erke- 
ilampatti, S. Peter's Church belonging to 
the Fiflierraeni Peixale, and the lafl; 
'Tcllewanaar., lying at the furthermoft, and 
near the Sea-Hde. 
This illand was formerly celebrated 
for the Pearl Fifhoy, as well as the City 
.of Tutecoryn\ but no Pearls having been 
■ taken there for thefe 10 years laft paft, 
the inhabitants are reducM to great Po- 
verty •, whereas the fumptuous Edifices, 
Churches and Monafteries, with their Or- 
naments, ave fufficient Demonftrations of 
its former Grandure. 
In the year i556. (after my departure) 
our Company order'd the firft time the 
Pearl-fifliery to be renew'd again, with no 
ill fuccefs ; and according to feveral Let- 
ters 1 have receiv'd from thence, they 
took a confiderable quantity of Pearls, 
the fecond time, in the year 1669, 
The Inhabitants of Manaar fpeak (be- The Ma- 
fides the i-salabar ) moft generally Portu- bitants of 
guefe, being long ago converted to the |^^aniar 
Chriftian Faith, for which reafon they {{J^j^^/^-/"" 
have fufier'd moft cruel Perfecutions from guefe.' 
the Kings of Jafnapatnam, who baptiz'd 
many of the new converted Chriftians Perfecution 
with Blood, alter they had receiv'd the of the 
Baptifm with Water. Many of them fled cknflians 
for this reafon to Goa by Land, being 
above 100 Leagues, and among them a 
young Gentleman of Royal Extradfion, 
who embrac'd Chriftianity there. 
It was Francifcus Xaverim who conver- ; 
ted the Inhabitants here, as well as thofe f- 
on the Cape Comoryn and the Paruoi, as 
we have told you before in the Defcripti- 
on of the Indian Coaft, and in the ac- 
count of his Life. The faid Xaverius 
eftablifli'd among them certain Teachers 
call'd CanacappeU, who were to inftrudt 
the Inhabitants in the firft Rudiments of 
the Chriftian Religion, as the Ten Com- 
raandments, the Creed, Our Father, (ire. 
which they did with indefatigable Care 
and Induftry :Thefe were fucceeded by the 
Jefuits (call'd Paulites here, becaufe they 
were fent into the Indies by Pope Paul III.) 
who in their way of teaching both the 
old and young ones, did far exceed the 
Francifcans, and all other Orders among 
the Romanifls. And I am very free to 
confefs, that I have frequently follow'd 
their Footfteps in reforming the Churches 
and Schools in Manaar and Jafnapatnam, 
as far as they were confiftent with our 
Religion, and confonant to the Genius 
of thefe Nations. It being abfolutely ne- ^rf^^^ yj^^, 
ceHary, that he who undertakes this task thod it 
fhould be v;ell acquainted with the me- mojlproi^ei 
thod to be ufed among thefe People in 
the Infancy of their Conver lion, intricate '^I'J,'^^" 
Qiieftions and Myfteries being more apt fil,,]^ 
to confound than to inftruft them: For 
which reafon it is moft proper to teach 
them the naked Truth of the Gofpel in 
as few Points as poffibly can be done • ( the 
Youth 
