189 
Manners and Customs of the Ceylonese. 
food, or ill eating it. Wliile at meals, they seldom converse 
with each other: they even seem to look upon the whole busi- 
ness of eating as something rather required by necessity, than 
very consistent with decency: while drinking they never turn 
their faces towards each other. 
In their diet they are exceedingly abstemious; fruits and rice 
constitute the chief part of their food. In some places where 
fish abounds, they make it a portion of their meals, but 
scarcely any where is flesh in common use. 
The Ceylonese are courteous and polite in their demeanour,' 
even to a degree far exceeding their civilization. In several 
qualities they are greatly superior to all other Indians who have 
fellen within the sphere of my observation, I have already 
exempted them from the censure of stealing and lying, which 
seem to be almost inherent in the nature of an Indian. They 
are mild, and by no means eaptious or passionate in their in- 
tercourse with each other ; though when once their anger is 
roused, it is proportionably furious and lasting. Their hatred is 
indeed mortal, and they will frequently destroy themselves to 
obtain the destruction of the detested object. One instance 
will serve to shew the extent to which this passion is carried. 
If a Ceylonese cannot obtain money due to him by another, 
he goes to his debtor, and threatens to kill himself if he is 
not instantly paid. This threat, which is sometimes put in 
execution, reduces tlie debtor, if it be in his power, to imme- 
diate compliance with the demand ; as by their law if any man 
causes the loss of another man’s life, his own is the forfeit. 
“ An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” is a proverbial 
expression continually in their mouths. This is on other oc- 
casions a very common mode of revenge among them; and a 
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