822 
A Defcripion 0/ G E Y L O N. 
The Ha- 
bits. 
rvA-/^ in regard of the tender beginnings of 
Smam, chriPtianity, the fame been pafs'd by for 
that time. 
The Cin^alefes are in Shape and Man- 
ners not unlike the Malabar:^ with long 
hanging Ears, but not fo black. The 
Drefs of the Men is a Veil call'd Ropillo, 
of Woolen or Linen Cloth their under 
Garment is a piece of Linen wrapt about 
the middle, and drawn through both their 
Legs, like a pair of Breeches : On their 
Heads they wear a kind of red Caps, 
fuch as we call Rock Caps, which they 
look upon as a fingular Ornament, and in 
their Ears Rings and precious Stones. 
The Hilts of their Swords or Scymeters 
are commonly of Silver, Ivory, or Gold, 
with flaming Blades. 
The common People appear for the 
moft part naked, having only a piece 
of Cloth wrapt round the middle to 
cover their Privy Parts. The Women 
go with their Breafts uncover'd, being 
generally well limb'd : Inftead of a Head- 
drefs they have a way of tying their 
Hair together like a Cap. They wear 
Golden or Silver Necklaces about their 
'Necks, and Rings on their Fingers and 
Toes. 
The Cingalefes as well as the Malabars 
are much addided to Idlenefs and Plea- 
fures, and infift much upon their Fedi- 
gree. They marry as many Wives as 
they think fit, as well as the Mahometans^ 
of which there live a confiderable num- 
ber in this Ifle. They marry their Daugh- 
ters at 10 or II years of Age, aCuftom 
not to be rooted out among them, they 
being very fond of the Virginity of their 
Wives. They Dury their Dead after 
the manner of the Pagans. 
In their Houfes they are exceflive neat, Their Oc' 
ufe inftead of Trenchards and Table- 
Cloths the Leaves of Fig-trees; their 
Spoons are made of Coco Nutftiells, and 
their drinking Veflels of Earth, with 
hollow Pipes, through which they pour 
(like the Moors) the Drink into the 
Mouth without touching their Lips ; for 
as the Cingalefes and Malabars infift much 
upon their Noble Defcent, fo they will 
neither eat nor drink with thofe of an 
inferior Rank-, nay many of them are 
fo proud as not to eat with their own 
Wives. 
The moft current Coin here are the Their C9in, 
Silver Laryns, each whereof is worth 
about 10 d. a Fanam is only 5 d. tho 
they have Golden and Silver Fanams ^ a 
Pagode was formerly no more than 84 
Stivers J but is fince raifed to 1 20, or fix 
Butch Gilders % as well in Ceylon as Ma- 
labar^ two Golden Fanms at 5 ^. a piece 
make a Laryn. 
C H A 
fertility of Ceylon. A Defcriftton t 
ftrange Tree, 
FertUtty of '-p H E Ifle of Ceyloyt is very fertile in 
Ceylon. j[ Rjce, and all forts of Fruits, as 
Jnana5^ Cocoes, the beft Oranges, Lem- 
mons, and Citrons, exceeding by far thofe 
of Spain and Portugal , Fig-trees, Cajou- 
ves. Grapes, Potato's, ^iavos^ Papajes 
and Pomgranats. You have here frelh 
Grapes the whole year round, except 
in the three Winter or rainy Months- 
tt abounds alfo in Sugar-reeds, and Mul- 
berry- trees, which produce a good quan- 
tity of Silk as in Ginger, Pepper, Car- 
damum, Tobacco, wild Palm-trees, af- 
fording vaft quantities of a kind of Sugar, 
and the Juice call'd Suyri their ordinary 
Drink. They are ftor'd alfo with Calabafs 
Trees,Co«o« Trzzs^Areeli Txtz^^Portuguefe 
Figs, A^angos of divers forts, long Pep- 
per, Melons, Water-Melons, Onions, and 
Garlick. Since the fettling of the Dutch 
here, they have alfo propagated with 
P. L. 
r the Cinmmon and Smkervood. A 
good fuccefs Cabbages, Afparagas, Car- 
rots and Radilhes : But the Helen or 
the Bride in Conteft of this Ifle is the 
fineft and pureft Cinnamon, which grow- 
ing only in this Ifland, no wonder if we 
have difputed the entire Pofleflion there- 
of for fo many years with the PortU' 
guefes. 
This precious Spice is call'd by the A Defcnp' 
Cingalefes Cureneo potto, and the Tree 
Curindo'gas, fome of which are of a^J^ 
great bulk, their Leaves refembling thofe Tm. 
of the Lemmon Trees, but not quite fo 
broad ; the Bloflbm is white and of an 
agreeable fcent, which produces a yel- 
lowifli Fruit, not unlike a fmall Olive, 
out of which the Inhabitants prefs an 
Oil not much differing both in Colour 
and Virtue from that of Nutmegs, but in 
fmell like the Cinnamon it felf. 
* The 
