170 
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
colour. They continually anoint their bodies with cocoa-nut 
oil ; and in particular always keep their hair moist with it. 
Both sexes are remarkably clean and neat both in their 
persons and houses. In dressing their victuals they arc scru- 
pulously nice. They are cautious not even to touch the 
vessel out of which they drink with their lips ; but (what 
would seem a very awkward method to an European) 
they hold the vessel at some distance ovei their heads, and 
literally pour the drink down their throats. It is perhaps 
from the fear of not doing it with sufficient dexterity that 
they never use their left hand in preparing their food, or 
in eating it. While at meals, they seldom converse with each 
other: they even seem to look upon the whole business 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 de- 
meanour, even to a degree far exceeding their civilization. 
In several qualities they are greatly superior to all other 
Indians who have fallen 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 captious or 
