Chap.XLVm. A D^^ion of CEYLON. 
8 
7 
Tribes. 
The Triht 
cf the Chi- 
Years of Age. It is fufficiently known 
what Mofes fays, in relation to the Marks 
of Virginity, Dcut. 12, 17. which to 
this day is followed by the Moors Fez: 
and Morocco. If they happen to die 
without Iflue, the Mother's Portion re- 
turns to her Friends, the reft to the Huf- 
chiiJrcn band's. One laudable Cuftom they have, 
''■^'^Zitlmt which is, that fcarce ever Children mar- 
iiseConfent ^7 here without the confent of their Pa- 
4 tbsir rents-, a Cuftom not only agreeable to 
Parents, the cxprefs Command of God, exprefs'd 
in divers Places of the Scripture, and the 
Pradice of all Ages even among the Pa- 
gcim^ but alfo confonant to the Civil Con- 
ftitutions, and the Decrees of the Council 
of Latcran and other Councils, which de- 
clare a Marriage betwixt Raptorem and 
Rapt am invalid in it felf. 
The Tribe or Family of the Chivicvs^ 
ufe formerly to attend the Service of the 
King of Jafnapatnam., but now do all 
forts of Drudgery, as carrying of Wa- 
ter and Wood for the Dutch Inhabitants ; 
they make ufe alfo of them for Littermen, 
io or 12 of them being fometimes em- 
ployed at a time, to carry a good bulky 
Hollander., 10, 20, nay 30 Leagues in a 
Litter, However as they are defcended 
from Courtiers, fo they are too proud 
to carry any ordinary Perfon, v^rho mull 
be contented to be carried by the ordina- 
ry Coelys or Labourers, who live all over 
the Country •, whereas the Chivias inhabit 
IF} the Diftrid of the Church of Chmde- 
COUli. 
Thofe of the Tribe of the Parruas do 
not live in fuch great Numbers in Jafna- 
patnam^ as they doabbut Twfero)'_)'w j they 
apply themfelves to the Sea, and efpeci- 
a!ly in diving for Sea-Horfe Teeth 
and Pearls. They generally fpeak Por- 
tuguefe., and are an adtive fort of People, 
The Chmiis live for the moft part up- 
on the Linen Manufafture and Traffick, 
th? word Cfojfify fignifying as much as a 
Merchant \ they are a crafty Generation. 
Each of thefe Tribes does not marry in- 
to any other,berides their own, nay com- 
monly in the fame Family. Befides which, 
each Handicraftfman educates his Son to 
the fame Trade he isof •, thus a Weaver's 
Son follows the Weaving-Trade, as the 
Smith's Son does that of a Smith. 
The Tribe of the Carreas live upon 
Filhing, which they perform, with mon- 
ftrous large Nets they inhabit near the 
Sea-lhoreof Jafnapatnam., and the Banks 
o{ the Salt- River. Thofe of the Tribe 
of the Mokkuas are likewife Fifliermen. 
The Nallouas are generally Slaves to 
the Bellales., and much blacker than the 
Vol. III. 
L^fthe Par- 
Of the 
Ciiittiis 
Of the 
Carreas. 
Of the 
Nallouas 
reft. Their Bufmefs is to gather the Li- O^y^' 
quor that flows out of the Coco-Trees, f^^f ; 
call'd Suyri and Eurral by the Indians^ to 
dig the Ground, tend the Cattel, water 
the Trees, and fuch like Drudgeries, as is 
commonly done alfo bytheCo!7;'5 or 01- 
dinary Labourers, They are a nally 
Generation, you may fmell them at a 
gooddiftance, not unlike the Hottentots 
on the Cape of Good Hope, 
The Parreas are the moft defpicable of J^/^^l^ 
all, their Employment being to carry out 
Dung and fuch like filthy things,they feed 
upon Rats and Mice. 
_ It is obfervable, that the Tribes of the r^'^f^J^X 
higher Rank look upon the inferiour 7^,7^^^)^", 
Ones with a great deal of Scorn, thefe of their 
being obliged to falute the others in the Tribes, 
Streets with deep Reverence, and other 
Ceremonies to fhew their Submiftion. 
On the other hand, all the Men of what 
Rank or Quality foever, exercife a great 
Authority over their Wives, whom they 
rarely honour fo far as to eat with them, 
but commonly dine alone. None of all 
thefe Tribes eat Cows Flelh, which is 
the reafon that no Cows are killed but by 
the Dutch., the Cow being laok'd upon a- 
mong the reft as a Sacred Creature, as it 
was formerly zmou^ the Egyptians -^^^ o^ -^SeeEno, 
which more hereafter. ° ^~ 
Tho their Tribes are very numerous, 
yet do they relate to fome few Families, 
from whence they take their OriginaiJike 
the Branches from the Stem of a Tree. 
The fame was praftifed among the anti- 
^wtEgyptians^'who diftinguilh'd their'Nati- 
on into four Head Tribes, viz.. the Priejls, 
the Soldiers J the Anlfans and Handier aft f. 
men., and the Sheep and Cowherds. Juft 
as now-a-days fome of the fwro/^Mw Na- 
tions are diftinguilh'd into four Eftates, 
vi^. Noblemen^ Patricians or Gentlemen^ 
Citizens.^ and the Common People, 
For the reft, the generality of the In- 
habitants of the Kingdom of Jafnapat- 
nam are naturally ingenious, and have 
a ftrong Memory they are very fober 
and moderate in their Diet, and (except 
the Nallouas and Parreas ) very clean in 
their Apparel, not quarrelfom, but ve^ 
ry free with their Tongue. 
Their general Vice is Fornication The Inba- 
and Adultery, efpecially among the ^'^''"''^ 
young Men, as the old Ones are much ad- J^f"'^i^^'^" 
didled to Superftitions, as to the choice 
of certain Days ( whereof fomething 
was faid before concerning Ka\a Singa ) 
the Cries of Birds, and fuch like 
things ufed among the antient Romans, 
Hence it is that the Portitguefes in thofe 
Parts have a Proverb to this day, I know 
N n n n n not 
25, & 
Gen. 45. 
37.. 
