THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
372 
investigating and punishing crimes arc enforced. A case of this 
nature occurred at Caltura in 1/99. A Cinglese peasant hap- 
pening to have a suit or controversy with another, watched 
an opportunity of going to bathe in company with him, and 
drowned himself with the view of having his adversary put 
to death. The latter was upon this taken up and sent to 
Columbo to take his trial for making away with the deceased, 
upon the principle of having been the last seen in his com- 
pany. There was, however, nothing more than presumptive 
proof against the culprit, and he was of course acquitted. 
This decision, however, did not by any means tally with the 
sentiments of the Cinglese, who are as much inclined to con- 
tinue their ancient barbarous practice as their brethren the 
Candians, although they are deprived of the power. 
There is no nation among whom the distinction of ranks 
is kept up with such scrupulous exactness as among the 
Ceylonese ; even in the dimensions and appearance of their 
houses they seem restricted, and a house of a certain size 
commonly announces its proprietor to have been born in a 
certain rank. This strong trait of barbarism is of course 
more glaring among the inhabitants of the interior, than 
those who have been civilized by an intercouse with Europe- 
ans. The Candians are not allowed to whiten their houses, 
nor to cover them with tiles, that being a royal privilege, 
and reserved solely for the great king. Even among the 
Cinglese there is still something more than the dilference of 
riches which affects their domestic economy. 
