TM ButcH Ü
jiasdte ipf ®vlögt €a®iwtr!&% tl» and ,iq«-
cteteitfH'wliieii iödeed>^^;fgen®sallp.;ar©- te a
T « ^ I.mmjaffQtÉi .te-'^eagtet^se, dbfeir ;knowIedge,;and e y q ^ ia p p e p
t« ey h ^ è -0D/r£»ri)»skyi i f o f n e i^ i tó ö é in ^ y thipg? jb^rond thq;
dai»moö(iins^*idr routine I liaye desorteed^ they, arej.of coqrse
ignetóïitr and_ stupid, t withpufocapacity., and without:, dpsiro „qf.&xn
cbUaugi,:by|*exdrtio®.* Their; children are treated with..the same
ïTegledhFa^riöthiK lol^ct^.fandi.aife *^hnliF powmitted to the care
o f fth»h stó ^ s 1 * Theirf sëlfish .and .contracted
equallyreaüóus to tbedbelmgs! pfovhnmanity, and; t$iqU’ p op
slaws pe>-treated with cruelty upon: the slightest provocation,,
and often . from; . mere caprice**. this ■ treatment, ^ith|^^g,ligdge, is-
highly/' necessary to- keep them in proper, subjection*an ■ «argument;
"employe# by those only who,r j^efjjftoat^bhjeyj deserve to
ha/to!- their injustice jiafaliated upon themselyes, ;p d l:^ hopq
hy stifling the- feelings? of ,Iprnanii;y. „
The: conversation of women, which-.has tended; so much, to
te^Hniyè the world, forms very little^of a Ceylpqj^JDutch-
matfs entertainment.; Although, th^ ^ladies^mahe.-part of . the:
company* yet they •e^peribncernnnev of th a t, att^jjoEc.andvp%n
liteness to which. se«> are Acqustemed in Europe. •, After,
the first salutations are over,: the men seem to. forget that, the
ladies are atsd#y presente, and will, sit a whQleieyeping vtalhing
politics over, their pipes*\ without opce ;,iiddressing.;.th^.,wpniea ffllk
talafog. the lepst n©tice: 'of them. Indeed they aypid as.*, much.-
as, possible this dead weigtit on their social .enjpynaefits, and
therefore usually get, into anotherj:-rppm by themselves,j ,pr
they have not an opportu^ity-ito, do ,so,..they chjb togethet. at.
on e ,en d o f the room, and leave the:!,other,.to .the ladies.
When such is the ,treatment which „they. experience from.the.
men, it is not to be expected that the women - can be very
polished or skilled in the arts of pleasing.. In the forenoons
their dress is particularly slovenly. I have ..seen many ih -a,
to o tlin g with only- a*/pet$<teat 'and*WWsd%«W3a or'jarfsetebpoii
them, flheir hai tofolfod-1 nip - in -a knot oftdhe^'Crown o f their
heads, and wifhbu-fo either shoes'ttorbdtoekings4-^ and: yet*-Ibfese
very women at then evening parties appeared dressed out- in
abundance of finery. Then . minds are still less cultivated than
their bodies ; and they are nearly as-ignorant on their wedding
day as in their infancy:--- Those eharms pf polite conversation,
and that'knowledge of useful subjects, which render the society
•of our fair countrywomen at dnee so- delightful and improving,
are utterly unknown-kmong the ladies ofo.Geylon., Their education
indeed1 is such, that aceofoplishments of any description are
not to be-expbeted among -them. Prom their infancy -they are
entirely;given ■ ;up to tire- management of the female'-slav^l "From
-whom“ they 'imbibe manners, habitsp;ahd'oSuperstittousto.,b-tf©i^ dE‘
%hidhJftfeey m l '^nevfe/hkfterwards 1 divest ^"thefoselvfes. ^fPbider
this tuitforb4they ’Continue till th ey ’ arte married; and jeven |m
this' snew-«’ state’ from the descrrptioii I >hafe- alread^|^ive'd'u6f
the tfeen,.€f will %ot 'bisJ expecteddhat they -should"'make^uny
nednsideriide| improvements.- As < they- find, suchoditadMif -reiepL
tion among the men, they - are glad .to return to tlie attentions
and obeisance paid them in the society of their slaves, - to
which they have been iriost accustomed. Their -morals; - being,
derived from the same source,: are ^equally destitute of dignity J
or vntuc, as * -their ■ manners are; of politeness. -They usually
converse in that - barbarous Portuguese which is leckohed extremely
.vulgar*- and- only f fit for : slaves. 'They 'seldolnfor“ feveV:
speak before an Englishman in any other dialect, but look upon
it