144 
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
the spurious descendants of the several European possessors 
of that island by native women, joined to a number of 
Moors and Malabars. A colour more approaching to black 
than white, with a particular mode of dress, half Indian, 
and half European, is all that is necessary to procure the 
appellation of a Portuguese. 
These people are found in all the European settlements in 
India, particularly those belonging to the Dutch, who often 
form intermarriages with them. It is in particular very 
common in Ceylon to see a respectable and wealthy Dutch- 
man married to a Portuguese woman of this description ; a 
connection which our countrymen look upon with the greatest 
abhorrence, and would not enter into on any account. The 
Dutchmen alledge that the cause of these intermarriages being 
so prevalent, is, that scarcely any woman leaves Holland to 
come to India except those who are already married. 
The manners of the Portuguese differ from those of the 
Moors, Malabars, and other Mahometans. They affect rather 
to adopt those of the Europeans ; and wear hats instead of 
the turbans, and breeches in place of the pieces of cloth, 
which other Indians wear wrapped round their waists, and 
drawn together between their legs like loose trowsers. At 
present it is customary for any black fellow who can procure 
a hat, and shoes, with a vest and breeches, and who has 
acquired some little smattering of the catholic religion, to 
aspire to the title of a Portuguese, a distinction of which 
lie is extremely proud. 
